Hi everybody. I decided to post my most recent Fan Fic on the Forums. I'm probably new for you, as I've never posted anything here. But well... I've written a few Fan Fics through the time. This one is the one I'm intending to finish.

This story takes place in Orre, ten years after the events in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. It grabs elements and plot from both Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD. This surged because I really like those games. However, many things were wrong with them. That's why I decided to write it: to expand the plot of said games and create a whole new story in the process.

This isn't a Trainer Fic. It's based in Pokémon, but it's more like Adventure and Dark mixed, with a few "Trainer" kicked in. It'll be limited to battles mostly, though. The main focus is a big mission that will decide Orre's destiny. I rated it PG-13, as it's bound to contain a few swears and quite a bit of violence.

I can't say more without spoiling stuff, so, come and read about...

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The Uprise of Cipher.

Prologue: Chronicles of Orre.

“We got him at last!” Claimed the leading grunt, the Rogue Soldier, which commanded the blue forces behind him. A group of five guys had an old man apprehended. All of them wore blue armor-like clothes, and had a weird helmet covering their faces. One of them didn’t wear the helmet: a young guy with short, blue hair. All of them wore the orange scarf: the sign of Cipher’s Army. They were crossing through the open arena that used to be the Deep Colosseum. Completely abandoned now, the old subterranean area now just served one purpose: the entrance to the Headquarters further underground. The group went through the hollow space quickly, and reached an elevator. All of them got in, still keeping hold of the old man that had given up by now.

“The Boss will be really pleased! We’ll manage to get out a big heck of information from this coot.” Said another grunt. As the leading one pushed the elevator’s “Down” button, one of them was really ashamed of all that. The blue-haired guy felt bad for doing the dirty things he had to do. But there wasn’t anything else he could do: if he disobeyed, his life would come to a sudden end. He just refrained from making any comment on that issue, until the moment came. As he looked at the flashy lights around the elevator, it stopped. The group then got into Cipher’s Underground Headquarters.

As they went down, they got into a huge room. There was a lobby with tables and chairs. White neon lights illuminated the place, as an endless amount of people chatted and drank in the lobby. Many of them were Cipher Soldiers like the ones that formed the group. Many pictures of Pokémon and people surrounded the lobby’s wall. The atmosphere was quite dark, though, because the place was many meters underground. At the far end of the big room, assorted in a neat way, a bunch of elevators could be seen. However, they weren’t regular elevators. The group stepped into the biggest one, and all of them disappeared just like this.

The group re-appeared in another room. It was a long hall, with many Cipher Soldiers hanging all over it. The hall had light bulbs instead of neon lights, which made it way darker than the previous room. There were many automatic doors at both sides of the long hall. As the group walked on, they chatted, very pleased with themselves because of the successful mission.

“We’re just some steps away from the Boss’ office.” Said the Rogue Soldier. They were approaching a big door that glittered with blue and gold sparkles all over it. As they were nearer of that door, the blue-haired guy stood back: he just hoped that the other soldiers would notice…

One of the soldiers turned back, as he noticed that the helmet-less comrade stopped walking all of a sudden. “Won’t you come?”

“Nope. You can’t go in like that…”

“Who says so?”

“I bet the Boss must be busy right now… how about you allow me to torture our hostage a bit?”

The Rogue Soldier turned back, angry about what had just popped out. He walked toward the blue-haired guy, but it was unknown if he was angry at all, since the helmet he wore covered his eyes. “Look, Ray: you’ve betrayed us before when you say you’re going to ‘torture our hostages’. We’re not going to fall for it this time!” The voice of the soldier proved that he was indeed angered.

“But this time I’m serious!”

“Don’t start with that crap again. You’ve allowed the escape of our latest hostages… you’re lucky that the Boss hasn’t ordered your execution by now. You did a great job in this mission. Don’t let it go to waste!”

“Trust me… I’m not going to allow escape this time.”

The angered soldier thought about it for a while, until he shook his head with a sign of disapproval, and said: “OK… I’ll trust you a last time. If you allow him to escape, I WILL get you executed! Go into your room, and make a good job. A good opening torture will soften him, and he’ll reveal the information we need. I’ll be back in one hour!” The leading soldier went back with the group and sent them to their rooms, while he got hold of the old man and handed him to Ray.

Ray got hold of the old man before he could move. He then went slowly inside his room, which was behind a door out of many in that long hall. As he entered, he closed the door with key, and released the old man from his seemingly strong arms.

The old man screamed and tried to escape, but as he saw that Ray didn’t start any sort of torture, he calmed down. The room was almost filled in complete darkness, as a low-power bulb was the only light source. There was a bed, and a computer. A bunch of clothes and magazines were spread out all around the messy place. Ray was a very untidy person.

“Sit down in the bed, please… I want to know a few things I’m sure you’re informed of.” Ray was serious, like he hadn’t been before. The old man felt a weird trust towards Ray: he couldn’t explain it. Deep within him, however, the old man hoped that the blue-haired boy that was talking to him would become a hero, and save Orre, as the Legendary Hero did back then…

The old man finally took a seat in the bed of that gloomy, poorly illuminated room. “OK, boy… I feel like I can trust you on that. You seem to be just a beginning soldier after all.”

Ray got hold of a chair that was near the room’s computer, and went near the bed. He then sat in front of the old man, and started the conversation: “Your name is Harland, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. I’m Orre’s spokesman. I keep track of all events and situations that concern this very region…”

“I see. That’s why Cipher wanted you. Um…”

“Before you keep it going, kid, I have a question: are you dissing Cipher?”

Ray just smirked at that question, and limited himself to nod at the old man’s assumption. “I see… that’s why you’ve released all the previous hostages, and you haven’t tortured me.”

Ray now felt burning from inside, and expressed his reasons at Harland, with a burning fury from deep inside his heart: “Yeah… Cipher ruined my life. They killed my family, destroyed my Pokémon from inside and obliged me to work for them. I have no other choice… I wouldn’t be there if I had refused.”

“My most sincere apologies… I guess you want to know the current situation of Orre. You would’ve preferred death than this destiny, I feel. There must be a reason for you to remain alive…”

Ray was still looking at Harland with his red eyes. Still, he couldn’t deny it: he wanted to stay alive. One reason was his Pokémon and all the other corrupted Pokémon that now plagued Orre. And the other reason was a friend… his only friend. “Sorry, but…”

“You don’t need to tell me your reasons, Ray. I understand how you feel. Still, I want to help you, as it seems you’re the only one capable of it. I feel it…” Harland had a strong will. It could be easily noticed: his black eyes, even if a bit hammered by the pass of the years, projected full determination. His overall body complexion showed he wasn’t ordinary old man. His hair still brimmed in a radiant black tone, despite his advanced age…

“You really think so?” Ray had helped other hostages, but no one had shown as much trust as Harland did. Even he was impressed, and now confirmed what Harland had just said: “Yeah… I want to know how did Cipher rise from its downfall at Wes’ hands. How did that organization took over the whole region… I want to know.”

“I see… Nascour must keep a big amount of the information for himself.”

“You know Boss Nascour?” Ray was completely shocked with finding that a complete outsider was well versed about Cipher’s hierarchy and the very Boss.

“I know more than you think, Ray… anyway. Guess I have no time to lose, as the Rogue Soldier will come in less than one hour.”

“That’s right! We must hurry… please tell me. What do you know about Cipher’s up rise and the inability of Orre to respond? I want as much details as possible, please…”

“And you’ll have them…” Harland cleared his throat for what would surely be a long chronicle: “As you know, Cipher managed to control a big part of Orre about fifteen years ago. They started as an underground syndicate founded by the most renowned miner of the Under: Evice Es Cade. The miner was formerly part of the Es Cade family, the governors of Phenac City. However, he was abandoned as he bestowed completely evil tendencies. Evice promised revenge to his own family, and with the years, he formed a huge wealth in the formerly mining town of the Under.”

“With his endless wealth, Evice managed to form a big group. He hired many criminals of the Orre Region, and even managed to lure in many powerful Trainers of the now cancelled Orre League. One of them is the actual Head of the organization: Nascour. With the aid of those criminals, Trainers and even a bunch of scientists, Evice created Cipher. The new organization started as an underground group, but it grew without control in a small lapse of some months. The ones that conformed the organization recruited Trainers all over the region, and also formed an alliance with the expert thieves of Team Snagem. They provided Snagem with the technology to actually steal Pokémon off their Trainers. They just had to give Cipher the best Pokémon they could steal in return.”

“In addition, the leader of the scientists hired by Evice, and last champion of the Orre League, Ein, created the Shadow Pokémon. They would work wonders for Evice’s scheme. Soon enough, Cipher had grown to be an unstoppable organization, having an army of humans and Pokémon alike. However, they couldn’t go further in their feat of conquering Orre. They had control over the Under and Pyrite Town, but soon enough, a former member of their affiliate Team Snagem, the Orre Hero, Wes, unearthed their intentions and trumped the whole organization, little by little.”

Ray was listening with an attention rare in himself. Not even the current situation of the Region could shift him from knowing the background of this awful age. The dark underground room was out of his mind now: Harland’s story was his only focus. “You have any questions up to here?” Said Harland. He was concerned about Ray’s thoughts…

“No. Not really. It’s interesting to know Cipher’s beginnings… but I hope you can tell me about their up rise from their slump now…” Ray was impatient to know how they could go unnoticed by Wes, and how no one in the whole region could stop them at all.

“OK… I’ll tell you. I just wanted you to know some of Cipher’s background. Let me continue. As Wes brought Cipher down in a lapse of mere weeks, the organization almost stumbled. Even their further efforts of taking Wes down were proved useless, as Wes himself disposed of the last traces of both Team Snagem and Cipher. Evice had lost ALL control he ever had over Orre, and was now in jail, seeing as how his escape plan was stopped by the legendary Ho-Oh, whom was watching over Wes and his friend, Rui.” Ray was quite impressed with that claim. He couldn’t help but ask: “Ho-Oh? The Legendary Ho-Oh? But, why it protected someone like Wes, whom used to be a criminal like Evice himself?”

“Yes. It’s weird as of why did Ho-Oh choose Wes. To this day, that mystery remains unsolved. Still, Ho-Oh observed Wes’ determination. He wanted to save the Shadow Pokémon, to revert them to what they used to be. It’s also unknown as of today why Wes betrayed Team Snagem and went into his quest for saving all the Shadow Pokémon. Still, Ho-Oh has been named as the Protector of the relationship Pokémon-Human. As it saw Wes’ desire, Ho-Oh knew it was right to support his success. At least that’s what I think…”

“Interesting… sorry. Please continue.” Harland took a deep breath, wheezing strongly. Ray was concerned about him, and went into his mess of clothes and magazines. As Ray went through the dirty stuff, he got a small bottle of water out of it, and handed it to Harland. “Please, drink some.” Harland grabbed the bottle, and drank a big amount of water off it. “Thanks, Ray. You’re very kind.”

“It’s the least I can do for you. If you need something else, tell me.” Ray then went back to his chair, still eager of hearing more of the story he completely ignored. Harland cleared his throat and started to talk again: “Wes freed the Region from Cipher’s menace. However, there was a fact that he ignored completely. A fact that would soon turn things around: Evice had a back-up plan.”

“A back-up plan?” Things were starting to get interesting. Inside the faint and messy room of his, Ray would finally hear the truth… “Yeah. Wes actually had a chance, but he ignored that the apparently former Cipher Admins were still working for Cipher’s rebirth. He defeated them for the third time in the Deep Colosseum. Apparently, they didn’t work for Cipher anymore, and just became full-on Trainers. Or at least that’s what Wes thought.”

“The Deep Colosseum? You mean the entrance of the Headquarters? Did it exist 15 years ago?” That impressed Ray too.

“Yes, and it was instrumental in Cipher’s recovery. Wes never went beyond the Colosseum, but there, those very Headquarters were being built. Evice and Nascour, whom were in jail at the time, knew it wouldn’t be long before they could escape. Their plan consisted on fooling Wes in that Cipher and Snagem were done for. The Admins managed to keep Wes off their real intentions. It took about five years, but the basic structure for those Underground Headquarters were completed without Wes knowing a thing about it… and then, the second phase of Evice’s plan was executed by his childhood friend, Greevil.”

“Greevil? You mean Nascour’s Left Hand?”

“Yes. It was ten years ago. Greevil followed Evice’s commands as the organization started its slow recovery. Greevil formed a new group, and stood as the new boss of Cipher. He dismissed all the old Admins to avoid suspicious thoughts from people. His objective was to keep the development of Shadow Pokémon still active. You probably know about that big Pyramid that’s being ran by Cipher, and Citadark Isle?”

“Yes, I do. That pyramid is where Shadow Pokémon are mass-produced. Citadark Isle is the second Headquarter of Cipher.”

“Indeed. Greevil built both places, in his attempt to bring Cipher back to power. His isolated plan was stopped, though. A small kid named Michael, a good friend of Professor Krane, stopped the plans of the new Cipher. However, he also ended up clueless in the actual plot of Cipher. Greevil’s plan succeeded, as they managed to create the most fearsome Shadow Pokémon.”

“What? What’s it about? Greevil created an even more wicked Shadow Pokémon?”

“He surely did. With the help of Ein, of course, who worked in the background. The Shadow Pokémon with code name: ‘XD-001’. It was the Legendary Lugia. It was a terrifying creation, out of the sick mind of those scientists. I believe they’re now producing more Shadow Pokémon under that classification, but I’m not sure. Even so, Michael managed to bring them down, Snag the Shadow Pokémon produced for that feat, and even purify XD-001, with the help of Prof. Krane’s Purify Chamber”

“I see. Well… I don’t remember much of it. I was 4 years old back then, and I just heard of an attack in the Pyrite TV Station…”

“Yep. It was just a work in the shadows. Cipher is actually glad that it wasn’t spread out at all. Plus, as you must be aware, the Under was abandoned around that time. That was perfect for Cipher, as they now would have their HQs completely unknown from everyone…”

“As Greevil’s plan was foiled, both Evice and Nascour escaped from jail. The escape had all of Orre in expectation. Even Wes, whom was now resting in Agate Village, got on his feet to find the escapees. However, neither was found. Michael also helped, but couldn’t find them either. Wes, Michael and the police thought they probably died in the vastness of the desert before they could even make it to their scarce followers. But they were completely wrong…”

“Evice and Nascour made it to the Under, which was now completely abandoned. Then they went into the just-finished Underground Headquarters. Down there, the up rise had just started. Unnoticed by Wes, Michael, and Orre as a whole, Cipher started to gather more followers than ever. Of all conditions and status, people started to flow inside the organization. Soon, their members highly outnumbered the last batch when Wes defeated them. It was also helped when the leftovers of Team Snagem merged with Cipher. Gonzap, the boss of Snagem, became the newest Admin, and with both criminal organizations now together, there would be trouble… but everybody in the surface ignored that.”

“It took Cipher about two years to create an army of Trainers, criminals and Pokémon. Ein managed to improve the Shadow Pokémon. The drawbacks were pretty much eliminated, and Shadow Pokémon now could double as normal Pokémon. The Snag Machines were improved to such a degree that now it’s almost impossible to distinguish between a Snag Machine and a normal glove. Cipher was ready to strike Orre with all they had. But they had a few worries: Wes and Michael. They probably could stop Cipher in its tracks again… but they had plans for them too.”

“It was the first thing Cipher did in the surface. A group of Elite Soldiers infiltrated into Agate Village, in one of Wes’ usual strolls through the sacred forest where he had purified all of the old Shadow Pokémon. There, the Peons attacked in a surprise strike. Wes couldn’t retaliate and fell in their hands. They also got hold of all of Wes’ Pokémon, while Cipher’s hackers got the Pokémon he had stored in the Personal Storage System. Wes has never been seen ever since. The notice of Wes’ apparent death stroke Rui, whom had just lost her grandparents: Eagun and Belluh. Rui went into a state of mental insanity: all the people she cared for was gone… forever. She’s still in her grandparent’s house to this day, completely out of herself. A huge sadness has rendered her completely unaware of the things that would come…”

“Then, in another swift attack, they surprised Professor Krane. As Michael and his family lived there, it was a very fast mission. They destroyed Krane’s Laboratory and the Purify Chamber. Michael and his family were apprehended and sent to jail, alongside Krane. They also got hold of all the Pokémon Michael had saved, including Lugia. It still surprises me how they didn’t kill them all, as they did with Wes…”

Ray couldn’t believe what he was hearing: apparently, Wes was dead. The great hero of Orre was gone. Michael, the other guy that had stopped Cipher, was now in jail. “So, that’s how Cipher managed to take control?”

“Yes… but that was just the point of the iceberg. As soon as Wes and Michael got out of their way, their take over was immediate and reckless. Their next action was so awful, so dreadful, that it still remains in the memories of the people that witnessed it and managed to survive…”

“What? What did they do that was so terrible?” Ray could swear he saw a silent tear slipping from Harland at that point. The old man whipped it with his arm, and then kept on going: “They attacked Phenac City in an indescribable rage. They used Shadow Pokémon to destroy the whole city and kill about 85% of their inhabitants. They just allowed the youngsters to live, and some people managed to escape their wrath. To this day, this event is proof of Cipher’s power and domain over the whole Orre Region. Such event is known as the “Phenac Raid” among the survivors. The youngsters Evice allowed to live are now on Cipher’s files… at least most of them.”

“That’s awful! How could they do that? Destroying a whole city and their people…” Ray felt a sudden fury within himself. He now hated Cipher even more. There was another feeling: he felt his friend was related in some way to Phenac City. He thought it was just a weird feeling created by his sudden rage… only that. Ray tried to calm down, and asked gently to Harland to continue: “The event was so awful that Evice died that very day. He probably couldn’t withstand seeing so much destruction created by him… showing he was human after all. Still, Nascour took control of Cipher, and the conquest of Orre continued.”

“Next was Agate Village. Pretty much all the Orre population but Cipher members were completely scared off what they could do to them if they didn’t obey. In addition, the former Agate Elders were dead; Wes was nowhere, probably dead; and Rui was so immersed in her own messed mind that she didn’t even move from her grandparent’s house. Dakim took over the village with ease. Then, Miror B. recovered Pyrite Town. It was easy, since neither Duking nor Silva could do anything. The Orre population was scared, and they just stood back in fear as Nascour took over the entire Region.”

It was unbelievable. By means of fear, Cipher had managed to have Orre at mercy. Wes and Michael were gone, and no Trainer seemed to stand up to their wrath. Ray felt more fury with every word of Harland. He now hated Cipher more than he ever did… “Well… Venus got the ruined Phenac City. She hasn’t cared for the rebuild of it, save the Stadium and her own facility. This way, everyone won’t forget of what Cipher is capable of. Gonzap took over the Eclo Canyon, where a concealed prison exists. That was the prison where Evice and Nascour used to be caged. Also, Gonzap rebuilt the destroyed Snagem Hideout, and it became another Base for the organization.”

“Ein became Nascour’s Right Hand, and was now free to reopen the Shadow Pokémon Lab, and in the course of the coming seven years, a city was built from the Laboratory. That city is known as Opal City nowadays, and Ein governs it. That way, Ein managed to legalize Shadow Pokémon in Orre, and it still conducts awful experiments in Pokémon. Snattle, one of the Admins that worked under Greevil’s orders, took charge of the old Orre Colosseum, which used to be the place for the Final Tournament of the Orre League. A mirage for many, it’s unknown whether it still exists or not…”

“Gorigan, another of Greevil’s cronies, took over Mt. Battle. That place is now an area where new recruits are trained roughly so they can attain their full potential… you must’ve been there at one point.” Ray just nodded. He still remembered the awful years of training, ever since he was 7 years old, eight years ago.

“It didn’t end there, though. Lovrina took over the Gateon Port, which interrupted communication between Orre and other Regions, confining everyone to Cipher’s reign. Chobin, a scientist obsessed with mechanic Pokémon, is in charge of the Pyramid, and is supported by one of Greevil’s bodyguards, Ardos. Greevil is in charge of Citadark Isle, of course, and is protected by his most loyal bodyguard, Eldes.”

“I guess that’s it… I know what I wanted to know all thanks to you. My deepest gratitude, Harland…” Ray was burning from inside, and he wanted to burn his pile of clothes and magazines, in hopes for Cipher to burn with it. Harland got another gulp from the water bottle that was left near him. He looked at Ray, and saw a big desire of saving everyone: Pokémon and people alike. “Wait… there’s more.”

“No. You’ve told me more than enough. It’s been almost an hour… and I won’t allow you to get killed. Get up, Mr. Harland… come with me.” Ray got up of the chair he was at, and Harland got up from the bed. The small bulb that gave light to the small room went off as Ray flipped the light switch. He was completely used to his room already, and he knew what to do. Going through darkness, and after tripping with the pile of clothes and magazines, Ray took Harland to a secret passageway. Harland didn’t know where they were going, but he trusted Ray somehow. The young blue-haired guy walked long meters through a tunnel he dug up by himself. He had helped many hostages to escape through that tunnel before, just after the teleporters in each room had been removed because of them being used by Ray for releasing the hostages. Still, Ray was an astute person, and he made that tunnel that took to the surface. He could’ve left long ago, but he didn’t want to leave without her… his dearest friend.

After two minutes of walking, light could be seen at the tunnel’s end. A few minutes after that, Ray and Harland were out. The evening Sun was now hiding behind the mountains in the horizon. The isolated wasteland that was Orre’s desert shone in a deluded orange color, like the setting Sun. A small sandstorm whipped permanently all over the desert. Harland was saved: he could escape now.

Meanwhile, down in Cipher’s Headquarters, the Rogue Soldier had been calling at Ray’s door without answer. He was infuriated, and he knew what that meant. With a powerful kick, he brought the door down. As the soldier saw a room enveloped in darkness, he was now sure. He turned on the light of the room, and found the tunnel. When he walked through the untidy room, he just smirked as he thought, “You’re mine, Ray…”

Harland was soothed by Ray’s help. Not only he didn’t torture him, but Ray also helped him to escape. “Thank you, Ray. I’ll go back to my place. If you ever get out, you know where to find me…” Harland smiled at Ray, whom was impressed of the old man’s trust toward him. “Don’t lose time, Harland! Escape.” Harland nodded and got a Poké Ball out of his long jacket. He threw it to the ground… “Go, Flygon!” The Ball opened, and the Dragon Pokémon spouted out of it in a shining flow of energy. As it took form, it let out a shriek: “Fly!” The majestic Pokémon contrasted with the orange shine of the desert, and its green body was glowing in a deep, dark color. Its big, red eyes looked at Harland, and it responded by bowing: Flygon probably knew what to do.

Harland climbed on Flygon’s back, as the Pokémon extended its wings. It then took off with a powerful flap of its wings. Its long hair moved with the flow of the sandstorm. Harland looked back at Ray before getting on the way, and gave him a last word: “You can do it, Ray. Wes and Michael did it. You can too… I’ll be looking forward to see you again. Thank you…” Flygon flapped its powerful wings again, and it flew through the sandstorm. It then disappeared, with Harland on it. Ray waved timidly at the now invisible Trainer and Pokémon. As he looked at the setting Sun, he made up his mind: it was time to take action. He had been waiting so much for that, and now he knew exactly how awful Cipher was. He couldn’t stop the governing organization alone, though. Maybe he could convince her… and then, that feeling he had of his friend’s relationship with Phenac City returned. He had to look at it next.

Ray was so immersed in thoughts, that only when someone grabbed him from his arms and then wrapped his neck with the long, red outfit that covered the stalker’s arm, he returned to reality.

“I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you. I KNEW IT! But now I’ve got you. It’s over for you, Ray. We’re off to see Boss Nascour!”

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Well, that's it. I hope you like it. Reviews are greatly appreciated. Until next time! :)

Tropical Spirit

15th September 2005, 8:17 PM

YAYZ, first reply! :0
It is, indeed, very good. I like how you felt that the shadow-snag-Orre plot was good but bad-done, as I tought the EXACT same thing.
Your way of writing is very good too, in my opinion.
....
They only two things I can say after that is that it felt a... little... Repetitive. It is, like, the third time the same organization is back x_x But you did a pretty damn good job at it.
Also, didn't Deathgold and one of his sons get themselves to police? *le confused*
But after that, it is a pretty darn good fic! :D

Drayano

16th September 2005, 7:49 PM

The Second Reply is mine! =O

Anyway, very nice story. Good job at description and story, and all in all a well thought out novel.

Lemme see, grammar mistake~

Even so, Tom managed to bring them down, Snag the Shadow Pokémon produced for that feat, and even purify XD-001, with the help of Prof. Krane’s Purify Chamber.”

No full stop in the original one.

I'm definitely keeping my eye on this. ;]

Jirachi385

17th September 2005, 5:08 AM

It is a master piece,I look forward to the continuation of your magnificent story,I am also curious about what happens when the soldier says:it's over Ray,were of to see Boss Nascaur.

A very good story!

Orion-Sama

17th September 2005, 8:26 PM

Great. I got a few replies!

Thanks a lot, Tropius Master. I didn't expect you to actually reply! I'm glad you like my style, which has improved a lot. And well... we think in the same way. :D

I know it's kinda repetitive, but well... let's just say they're persistent. ;) And I know Greevil goes to jail because Eldes suggests it, but well. As Cipher took control of the entire place, it was logical to release the members they thought worthy, as they'd provide major help on their feat. And you just pointed out a major attitude in Greevil and his people. You'll see how that develops as the story goes on. I hope you can keep on reading. Thanks again! :)

Thanks for the reply, Drayano. I'm glad you liked the way I write, and I'm sure the upcoming events won't disappoint you. As for the mistake: OMGZ! I forgot a period! Thanks for pointing out, though. I'll try not to have as many mistakes, though I know I will. Grammar's still a bit tricky for me, and typos happen. Even so, I hope you keep on reading. Thanks again! :)

Thanks for the reply, Jirachi385. While I think what you said is an over-statement, I also think this is my best Fic so far. Mainly because it uses the perspective I'm an expert at: Third Person. I wrote my previous Fic in First Person, and while good, I noticed it needed much more work and different grammar. I just went back to my roots, and it paid off. As for the cliffhanger... you'll see the next chapter. I hope you can keep on reading. Thanks again! :)

Well, I see no point in waiting up, so here's chapter 1. The prologue was just a start point, to let everybody be aware of the current situation. It's time to meet the characters and involve in their ideas, desires and destiny. Be sure to read it...

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Chapter 1.
The last day.

The Rogue Soldier went down through the long tunnel Ray had dug up by himself. He still had the young recruit completely disabled. Ray tried his hardest to release from the commander’s strong arms, but without success. As they crossed the dark, yet ample tunnel, the pair got into Ray’s room. The door was broken, but everything else was in the same place: the mess of clothes, the magazines, the PC, and the bed. The soldier still held Ray with his strong arms, and got him through the broken door of his room.

They went through the hall with doors. It was still a bit dark because of the small bulbs that were the only source of light. They were going toward the big door with blue and gold sparkles on it: it was the door of Nascour’s room. The Rogue Soldier increased the strength on his right arm as he released Ray from one of his arms. He got a card out of his belt and passed it through the door’s card slot. Some mechanic sounds came from the door, probably the engine that opened the gate. Ray could spit out something before the Rogue Soldier wrapped him again: “Let me go! You’re not gonna…!”

The door finally opened. It was like all automatic doors of the region: it opened from the middle and hid the two halves behind the mechanism. The pair kept on walking, and they were now in a hollow room: it was a small square that was lit by a lone neon light of high power (Compared to the pitifully weak bulbs in the rooms and the hall.). In front of them was a small teleporter, like the ones they took to be transported into the hall from the entrance room of the Underground Headquarters, but this one was fairly smaller. The Rogue Soldier walked straight to it, and then pushed Ray inside it: “You go first!” Ray fell inside the teleporter, and then he felt as if everything around him disappeared in a dazzling move of light. Shortly after, he couldn’t see anything, but he could feel that his body, somehow, moved somewhere else. It was a sensation he was used to already, after being an apprentice soldier for five years, but it was still impressive to experience. After a measly two seconds that seemed to be at least two minutes, Ray appeared in another room.

It was a huge room, like the Headquarters entrance room. It had gold statues that depicted Legendary Pokémon all around: Raikou, Entei, Suicune… among others. The walls were of a beautiful white color, and had gems of all sorts incrusted on it: rubies, sapphires, opals, agates, pyrites, diamonds, emeralds… it was a beautiful sight. Greek-style columns held the office’s roof atop. There were windows at both the left and the right side, and the orange afternoon sky could be seen in them. Was Nascour’s office in the surface? That’s what Ray thought… but he couldn’t think much about it. The Rogue Soldier got teleported soon enough, and got hold of Ray yet again. They then walked through the big room, stepping on a red carpet with yellow stripes on it. Ray still struggled to release himself from the Rogue Soldier, but it was useless yet again.

They went through the room, when they finally reached a big desk. It had two statues of Legendary Pokémon on both sides of the desk. The statues depicted two similar Pokémon: bird-like creatures with long, stick-like wings. Their feet were like spikes, and their face was a bit reptilian. Their hands were small. Both had triangles on their bellies, and some sort of symbols on top of their head. One statue had a fierce expression, while the other looked calm and serene.

The desk was long and had many crystal ornaments all over it. In the front, a big window revealed they were, indeed, in the surface, high meters above ground, because Ray could see the vast desert that conformed most of the Orre region. In front of the desk was a big, black seat: Nascour was currently looking at the window in front of him. His white hair waved above the seat, and it was the only thing that could be seen of Cipher’s boss so far. The Rogue Soldier stepped to the front, and finally allowed Ray to get away. However, Ray was screwed, and he knew it…

“Boss Nascour. Sorry to interrupt you now, but I have someone that’s caused trouble down in the HQs.”

The spinning black seat suddenly turned to the right, and the figure of Cipher’s boss slowly appeared sat on it. Ray would never forget the first time he saw Nascour, back when he was obliged to join Cipher. It was the scariest moment of his life: Nascour infringed fear upon anyone that managed to gaze at his red, evil eyes. This time was no exception: Ray felt that same fear, but amplified. Back then, he just saw Nascour from a considerable distance. Now, he was face-to-face with Cipher’s boss. His long, white hair still floated above his head, which bestowed those awe-inspiring eyes. He wore purple clothes, which were almost attached to his body. Even after 15 years, Nascour’s appearance was something to admire and fear. He looked with his red eyes at Ray’s crimson-colored pupils. They were the same color, but Nascour’s glowed with a supernatural light.

“Your name, soldier…” Said Nascour, still gazing at ray. His voice was cold, and hearing it directly increased Ray’s fear.

“R… R… Ray.” His fear was put on in that reply. Ray couldn’t stand it…

“I see… what brings you here?”

The Rogue Soldier stepped front, and called on Ray’s fault: “He allowed Harland’s escape, as he has done with many of our hostages. I ask for immediate execution!”

Nascour smirked. Still, he was thoughtful, as if he didn’t want to kill Ray in that very moment. “Hmmm… seems like you’ve wasted your last chance at loyalty, Ray.”

“I’m… sorry.” Ray didn’t mean it, of course. He just thought he could survive if he said that…

“There’s not going to be more concessions with you. You’ve caused too much trouble already… let me explain something to you.”

Nascour’s eyes now shifted to one of his crystal ornaments in the desk. It was like a big crystal orb supported by smaller balls. He moved all of the other ornaments apart, but Ray was impressed in that Nascour did so without even touching the ornaments, and didn’t even move from his seat. His eyes still shone in red, but he was apparently focusing his mind on moving the ornaments. Did Nascour have powers beyond the average man?

When he was finished, Nascour looked back at Ray. After a short sigh, he started to talk: “Look at this ornament, Ray. Think of it as Cipher. The big sphere that’s supported by the smaller ones is the organization as a whole. It works fine: Cipher is above everything, as it should always be.” Ray was about to respond to that claim, but his fear didn’t allow him to do so.

“However, for Cipher to remain above it all, smaller but numerous supporters are needed. They are the small crystal orbs… and you resemble one of them. All Cipher members are one small orb. It works fine as long as the smaller spheres are loyal to the big orb, and don’t move away… but what happens if a sole small orb moves away of the support all of them provide to the big sphere?”

Nascour’s eyes focused on the ornament. Using what seemed to be mind powers, he moved away one of the small crystal orbs. He then sustained the small orb on the air, floating with an unseen force. As soon as the orb was removed from the group, the other orbs shook for a short time. Soon thereafter, they all crumbled down and collapsed the once-strong ornament. The big sphere fell and crushed a fair amount of small orbs, before breaking itself too as it collided with the bunch of small orbs and the desk.

“That’s what happens when one part moves away, or doesn’t follows orders. ALL the other parts come down! And Cipher as a whole crumbles away! And you, Ray, have contributed to that. This won’t do at all. When one part isn’t working to support the others, it’s needed to get new parts to replace it… and as for the disloyal parts…” Using his unknown powers again, Nascour opened his eyes wide, and the small sphere that still floated above the desk, shattered in many parts. Ray gulped as he saw that: Nascour was referring to him being disloyal to Cipher, and his immediate destiny was clear. He had blown it: he’d die at once.

“You’re dissing Cipher, but that’s going to end soon!” Nascour’s eyes now shone differently: a white sparkle surrounded his red pupils all of a sudden. Ray then felt as if someone grabbed him with unbearable strength. Ray was lifted in the air by Nascour’s powers. Nascour then raised his right hand, pointing at Ray. He was still sat as the once-orange sky that could be seen behind the room’s big window turned all black, and neon lights of an intense white color turned on automatically and illuminated the room. The Rogue Soldier was impressed, but pleased at the same time. He surely had never seen Nascour’s hidden powers.

“That’s what happens when you don’t obey. I could kill you right now, but… I like to see sorrow and pain. Show me some!” Nascour closed his once open right fist, and Ray felt an unbearable pain: he felt as if an outside force crushed him. “AGGGHHH! NOOO!” He couldn’t stand the pain anymore. He felt as if his whole body was torn out completely from the outside: Ray thought he would explode sooner or later. He had the sudden thought that he wanted to die now rather than suffer…

Nascour’s fist opened again, and then he moved his arm roughly to the right. Ray was cast away, flying a short distance until he collided with one of the various columns in the room. He was badly hurt by that, but the psychic force that held him ceased. He didn’t move after falling to the floor from the mid height he collided at, though. The column had a small fissure resulting from the crash. With his head down, his nose and mouth bleeding, and his body hurting all over, Ray knew he was still alive, somehow…

“Get up, you scum!” Nascour called on as he got up from his seat. He walked toward the badly hurt Ray, and then raised Ray’s head with his hand. With a fixed glare on Ray’s eyes, he kept on talking: “I’m really angry for what you did. You’re not going to be forgiven this time! Still… I like to see people like you in a tight spot. You think you’re smart and brave, going up against our desires, when you’re no more than a scared scrub that’s afraid of the higher commands…”

“That’s why I’ll postpone your execution. It’ll be much better for tomorrow. Not only you can develop your fear and pain even further, but I’ll make it so the rest of Cipher recruits don’t lose that event.” As he finished with that speech, Nascour laughed softly, with a malicious tone that only made Ray even more afraid. The Rogue Soldier, whom was looking at the recent aggression of the boss, overheard Nascour’s words, while he thought it was some kind of joke. But as neither Ray nor Nascour moved afterwards, he had to ask something: “Boss… don’t tell me you’re letting him have another day of life.”

“I am… I’ve decided. Plus, I can cause more sorrow to that fool that way. Psychological fear is as harmful, or even more so than physical wounds. Any objections, commander?” The soldier didn’t know what to do. He’d never defy the boss, but he had seen many of Ray’s actions before, and he knew Ray was really astute. Nascour was surely underestimating him; not that it could be helped, though. The Boss barely had contact with regular soldiers, not to say apprentices. However, the commander knew it was a bad idea to get on Nascour’s bad side. He limited to shake his head from side to side, slowly, as Nascour just smirked in response. “Take that traitor back to the HQ. Be sure to keep an eye on him…”

“Got it…” The commander got hold of Ray, whom still lay in the column’s feet, nearly unconscious. Still, Ray’s mind was completely active. He ignored the commander’s continuous harassments, and the constant pushes he got throughout the room and into the teleporter. He had to figure a way out. If there was any desire to finish Cipher within Ray, it was the time to execute such wish. Else, his whole life would’ve been for naught. He had only one chance… if she agreed on helping him; he had a slim chance of survival. Then, that thought came into him again… it was time to take actions.

***

Back in his room, Ray delved a bit more into that feeling: his friend was related to Phenac City in some form or way. He had that feeling when Harland told him about the Phenac Raid, and it had invaded Ray’s thoughts three times. It couldn’t be just the average feeling… maybe it was true. Ray was sitting on his bed, as he though about what he could do to escape the Headquarters and start wearing down Cipher little by little. He couldn’t escape through his tunnel anymore: as he had the meeting with Nascour, his door was fixed back, but his tunnel to the surface was covered completely. He couldn’t dig as much in a few hours, as it took him about one month to finish that pathway back then. And his Pokémon wouldn’t be of help either: being Shadow Pokémon, they only obeyed in battle, and not in other things. Also, a soldier now guarded his door, so he couldn’t go for a full-on escape either. He had another plan, though… but he had to make some research first.

Ray logged on his computer. The Cipher Network executed instantly. The Network had a bit of background of the organization (Though most was hidden, as Harland revealed MANY things Ray didn’t read in the network at all.), and information of all the people that conformed the organization. Ray knew there was a big amount of information that was secret, though: Cipher’s higher ranks had zero to no information about them besides their names and their Pokémon… and it could be true to other recruits. Those that were recruited by Cipher after the Phenac Raid… or so Ray thought. There was only one way to find it out.

Ray entered in the Recruits Database. “Snaggers… Class A… there she is.” Ray clicked on the name “Teal ‘God’s Hand’ ”. For the first time, he noticed it had her name and pseudonym, but not her last name. As he clicked on his friend’s name, her profile appeared. A front picture of Teal appeared on the screen: she was quite beautiful. She had short, dark green hair, and black eyes. She smiled in that picture, because she was quite a legend among Cipher’s files. Besides her photo, a lot of information about Teal was displayed on the screen: Ray pretty much memorized all that data, but he checked it again, with outstanding attention.

“Name: Teal ‘God’s Hand’… no last name.”

“Age: 14. That’s right.”

“Role: Snagger… check.”

“Hometown: Unknown. Now there’s something fishy.”

“Familiars: None? Nonsense!”

“Position and other information: Class A Snagger. Expert Pokémon Catcher. Retrieved Raikou, Entei and Suicune from their mass outbreak one year ago… that’s true too.”

Ray now assured there was something hidden. His familiars, though killed by Cipher, were listed on his profile, and so was his former hometown: Pyrite. Why didn’t they include such information on Teal’s profile? He had to find it out… and the teachings he got from a hostage he helped long ago would come in handy. Such hostage was Nett, the former founder and leader of the Kid’s Grid: a small group conformed by kids that used to be active in the Under. That group was instrumental in Cipher’s defeat at Wes’ hands, and in the recovery of the first group of Shadow Pokémon. They then became the new TV network that transmitted news to the whole Region: the ONBS (Short for Orre News Broadcast Syndicate.). It dissolved as soon as Cipher got into business again, and they managed to track their leftovers down. Ray caught Nett, but he also helped him to escape the Headquarters. It had been about five months since then, but Ray had the small hacking lesson he got from Nett still fresh…

“Well… if I ever needed to hack something, it is now.” Ray got out of Teal’s profile, and then moved through the database: he had to get into Nascour’s PC, where he assumed all the hidden information would be stored. There was another section where he could access the computers of the Cipher Leaders. Still, most links inside each PC were broken, or popped up the message “Forbidden access.” However, Nett taught him how to access those links. Ray did exactly as Nett told him back then, and managed to access Nascour’s PC (Which was completely locked.), where he hoped to find answers.

There was that link: “Recruits Profiles”. Ray got inside it, and went through a similar dropdown menu: “Snaggers… Class A…” He found Teals’ profile at last… but though he found what he wanted, he was completely sure that he didn’t like it:

“Name: Teal ‘God’s Hand’ Robinson.”

“Age: 14”

“Role: Snagger.”

“Hometown: Phenac City.” That was it… He was now almost sure of that feeling’s accuracy… but he went on.

“Familiars: Father - Lenny Robinson… Mother – Tania Natshel.”

“Position: Class A Snagger. Expert Pokémon Catcher.”

“Services to Cipher: Snagged many Pokémon off the tournaments in the vicinity of Orre. Most notably in the Kanto, Johto and Hoenn Leagues. Retrieved Raikou, Entei and Suicune from their mass outbreak one year ago.”

“Other: Teal’s parents were killed in the Phenac Raid. Teal was recruited right away. Her right arm suffered a severe wound and was rendered useless. Such arm was extirpated and a bionic arm was implanted on its place. Such arm had Snag technology already programmed, and also doubled as a regular arm. Teal ignores all the information about her parents, and her origins. That desire of knowing the truth derived in a necessity to help Cipher as much as possible, as the organization promised to help her on finding information about them someday….”

Ray felt a sudden anger as he finished. Nascour was hiding the truth from Teal… and fooled her so she would do stuff for Cipher. How could he be so evil? Teal ignored everything… but now Ray knew her truth. He was unsure as if he should tell her or not. Probably, she wouldn’t believe him, but… he knew Teal very well. With the first hint of her past, she’d go directly with Nascour to confirm…

Ray printed the information of the profile, and he got a last look at the paper that just got out of his printer. He turned off the PC as soon as that. Everything was in order: the information printed without trouble, and accurate. He had to show Teal…

Ray moved his big pile of clothes and magazines away from their current place. He was pleased because the soldiers didn’t find his other passageway. There was a circular vault, and as Ray lifted it up, a hole with stairs could be seen, much like the entrance to a sewer. Ray went inside it, going down through a long stair. After a while, he was immersed inside a dark hole. Nothing could be seen, but it seemed as if he knew where he was going. Eventually, he made it to solid ground… or tubes. There was a division, but it was too dark to assure that. Still, Ray pretty much knew where he was going, and after turning right, left, right, he managed to find another hole going upwards. In the gloomy, wet atmosphere of what seemed to be a sewer, he was slowly getting into another room.

The hole going up was much shorter than the one on his room. He finally reached another vault, and knocked on it as if it was a door. “Teal, open up.” Ray waited a bit, and then the vault opened. A hand extended from the light that had just spouted through the hole, and Ray grabbed it. That hand dragged him out, and he was in the place of his friend, Teal. “Hi Ray! I was wondering what had kept you so long this time.” Teal smiled to him, as she waved her short, dark green hair. Her outfit was a bit torn up. She wore a marine blue shirt, which had a few scars here and there. She wore jeans, which were torn up so much on the left leg that they could be half jeans, half shorts. Ray cleaned up a bit with a towel Teal just handed to him.

“Hi Teal… sorry. It’s been a busy day.” Ray sat in one of various chairs that were around the room. Compared to Ray’s messy and empty place, Teal’s was a luxurious, big room. About three times bigger than Ray’s room, it had a big bed, a modern PC (Compared to Ray’s last year model.), a big table, a bookshelf, white neon lights, a big armoire, a fridge, a stove, and many pictures of Pokémon and people all over the wall. It was understood: Teal was one of the top Snaggers of the organization. Teal sat in front of Ray, as they both took a place in the table.

“Busy day? Oh… another mission? Don’t tell me you went against Cipher’s desires again.” Ray just smirked while he nodded in affirmation. Teal was giving him a look in disapproval: “You should stop, Ray. As your friend, I can’t let you go on anymore. They could do something against you… even execute you! Please stop it.”

Ray was about to burst in anger: she was with Cipher. If only she knew… it was time to reveal the truth. Ray looked at Teal with complete sincerity, and unfolded the paper he just printed back in his room. He handed it to her… “Look at that, Teal. Nascour’s been lying to you all this time. The truth of your past is all in this paper.” Teal let out a sound of surprise as Ray said that. She couldn’t believe it. Either way, she looked at the paper, and was utterly shocked: it had her last name, her parents’ names, her hometown, and even many things she completely ignored: the paper claimed that Cipher destroyed Phenac and that her parents died there. It also said something about her arm being a bionic arm. It also had words about Cipher using her desire to know her past to their advantage… it was too much to be true.

But if that was false, why was all the other information true? She retrieved the Pokémon Beasts one year ago… she had Snagged many Pokémon off big Tournaments. Teal couldn’t help but ask Ray about that: “Ray… where did you got that from?” Ray still looked at Teal with a concerning glance, but then told her the truth: “I got it directly off Nascour’s PC. I hacked my way into it… he’s been hiding many information from you and many others.”

But Teal was skeptic. It couldn’t be true: “You… you must have modified it!” Ray negated it as he moved his head from side to side in disapproval: “Maybe you have such software in your PC, but mine doesn’t – I just can execute the regular actions of checking and printing the information I see on screen. I couldn’t even hack my way into Nascour’s PC if it wasn’t for a certain hostage I helped five months ago…” Ray was being as honest as he could. Still, Teal didn’t seem convinced of it at all… though the feelings of doubt and curiosity had just appeared: she couldn’t argue with Ray anymore, because he was being honest. His PC couldn’t do much… and so it was impossible for he to manipulate the information. And as she went through the bionic arm bit again, she felt that her right arm was different for the first time… it felt artificial. Also, the fact that she didn’t have to use a Snag Glove as all the other Snaggers made it even more suspicious.

Ray then remembered that a soldier was guarding his door from outside, and he couldn’t get caught into more escapades, or he’d be killed right now. “Sorry, Teal, but that’s all I can tell you for now… we’ll talk later. I must go back!” Teal was impressed at such sudden decision, and tried to stop Ray: “No, Ray. Wait up! I have many questions.” But he was back into the internal sewers of the HQ. He went down the stairs as fast as he could, ran back to his access tunnel in those small, wet tubes. He went up as fast as he could, and finally made it into his room again. As he got out from the mess of clothes and stuff (He left it on the hole so the soldier wouldn’t suspect anything.), he was relieved that the soldier wasn’t inside. But as soon as he got everything arranged and was back on his bed, the soldier busted in.

“Ray! Where have you been? I heard a big ruckus inside.”

Ray made up something: “I just tripped over with my mess. And well… can’t I go to the bathroom a last time?”

“OK. Don’t try to fool us, Ray. If I see the slightest proof of escape from your part, I’ll get boss Nascour!” the soldier got out and slammed the door on his way out. Ray was safe for now, though he was unsure on trusting Teal to save his life. Even so, he had known her for such a long time… and he was sure she was on her way to Nascour’s office by now.

“Master Nascour… I have something to ask you.” Teal was inside the long, luxurious office of Cipher’s Boss. The neon lights contrasted with the starry night that could be seen on Nascour’s big window. The boss was on his seat, and turned his front to Teal, who looked really concerned and doubtful. Nascour’s red eyes infringed fear upon Teal too… but she wanted answers. She handed the paper Ray gave her to Nascour. “Tell me, Master… is the information written in that paper true?”

Nascour looked at the paper thoroughly: it was Teal’s profile. However, it was the profile that only he had access to. How could Teal get such profile? Did someone hack inside his own PC? So many questions popped into Nascour’s head, but he couldn’t answer them… he had to conduct a research on it later on. Though Nascour felt the urge to lie to her again… he noticed Teal was checking her right arm. It would be no use to lie… he realized as much. “Why, yes… it’s your true past.” Nascour smirked a bit, and the laughed with an evil, strong tone.

Teal’s world collapsed at the sound of that claim. She tried to contain her anger, her sadness, and her tears… “Thanks for the confirmation, Master… I’ll go now. Sorry for the inconvenience.” Teal turned back, and left the luxurious office at once, as she burst in tears of anger, sadness and hatred. She knew the truth now, but at what cost? Nascour realized she was suffering, and laughed even more. Teal left into the teleporter as soon as she could, and went back to her place. She was too sad to think: Nascour had been hiding that from her ever since day 1… and it was because of Cipher that she was in such situation. Teal lay down on her bed, crying like she never had before.

***

It was 10 PM already, and it was in that very hour when Teal heard the knocking on the floor’s vault. “Are you there, Teal?” It was Ray… he was back. Teal was still too sad for words, but she opened the vault anyway, and Ray came in. He looked at Teal’s face, and that was enough to ensure one thing: she had just found it was true. “I’m sorry, Teal… I never wanted you to suffer. But you couldn’t keep on serving them without knowing the truth.”

Teal sat in her bed, and Ray sat next to her. Teal’s face showed an unbearable sadness, and the markings of her tears were still noticeable all over her face. “Thanks, Ray. I don’t blame you, though… you did what you had to do. But Cipher… they fooled me all this time. I served them with all my will, with hopes that they’d show me the truth someday. I scaled the ranks with that in mind… I gave them my services. They’re… they’re…” Teals’ voice was cut off: she couldn’t go on. Tears came out her eyes again, and her sadness grew with every second. Her hatred grew too…

That soothed Ray. He patted Teal on her right shoulder, and left his arm on her shoulder, as if he wanted to console her with a hug. “I’m sorry for that, Teal… but it’s all Cipher’s fault. When the hostage I helped today told me about the Phenac Raid, I felt you were related to it in some way. And I couldn’t believe Cipher could be so evil, so reckless… and they hurt you also. Still… it’s no use to cry. We’ve cried too much for their cause. We must do something. We must stand out against them…” Ray was never so serious before. He was now determined. Teal now knew the truth, and maybe she would help him.

Teal was still sad, but she recovered her voice. “You think so? But what we’ll be able to do?”

“We just have to stand against them. Wes did it, and succeeded…”

“But Wes confronted a greenhorn Cipher. We’re up against a Cipher that controls all of Orre. We don’t stand a chance, Ray!” Though he didn’t want to accept it, it was true. Wes went against a growing organization: Cipher didn’t control the whole region back then.

“I know that, Teal… but still. You can stay here, suppress your hatred and help them on going even further. I just can’t stay here anymore. Not only I’m fed up of them, but…” Ray was unsure if he should tell Teal about his sentence.

“But what, Ray?” Though she was still unconvinced, Teal also wanted to destroy Cipher: the organization that killed her family…

There was no other choice… “OK, I’ll tell you. If I stay here any longer, I’ll die. The help I lent to today’s hostage wasn’t accepted nor forgiven by Nascour… he’s much more powerful than I though. He used super-natural powers to hurt me, and claimed I had gone too far. Still, he settled my execution for tomorrow… he thought I’d suffer all alone and that pleased him.” Teal heard all that, and was really shocked. Would they kill Ray tomorrow?

“That’s awful! But I understand you…” Teal remained silent for long minutes. She met Ray in the Mt. Battle grounds, when they just started their training and services to Cipher. It had been seven years ever since, but she still remembered that day. Ray had always been a nice person to her… and deep within herself, she had a special feeling towards Ray. If Nascour killed him… she’d be alone for the rest of her life. She couldn’t bear to live with that. She wanted Ray to remain alive… she just couldn’t think of a life without him. Though she was unsure of that, and knowing of what would happen if that failed, Teal made up her mind.

“Now that I’ve thought about it… I’ll help you Ray.”

Ray was impressed at that change of thoughts: “Really? Are you sure?”

“Yep. I’m sure. I’ll help you on that situation. After all… I hate Cipher too. And I think it’s better to do something than to stay here motionless, helping the enemy.”

Ray couldn’t help but to hug Teal all of a sudden. Teal blushed strongly, but managed to hide it from Ray’s sight. “Thanks, Teal! I knew I could count with you!” He finally let Teal go, and they sat again, thinking on what they could do.

“Let’s go to your room, Ray. I’ll tell you what we’ll do on the way.” Ray nodded, and both friends went to the hole on Teal’s room. They were going through the sewers, and Teal was listening to Ray’s story: Nascour had psychic powers, and they had to stop that somehow in order to escape.

“OK… it seems to be a tight situation. But I know what we’ll do: I’ll use my Wigglytuff. She can use the Hyper Voice. The sound waves will disrupt Nascour’s concentration, and then I’ll release you. Then, we can escape as Wigglytuff keeps everyone dazzled with the powerful sound waves. We’ll go to the elevator as soon as possible and we’ll escape in my motorcycle. We must do it fast, though, as they can catch us. But trust me… that’ll work.”

“I hope so…” Ray was unsure, but it seemed to be a good plan. They went through the sewers and onto Ray’s room after a fast stroll. Teal helped Ray on packing up the important stuff, and Ray also gave Teal his Pokémon, in case something failed. Teal took the packed-up backpack and Ray’s Poké Balls. They were prepared for giving it their all… regardless of the difficulties their feat implied.

Teal talked with Ray before going back to her room: “OK… we’ll do as we accorded. No matter how few, we’ll do something for Orre, and for us.”

“I’m glad you finally opened your eyes, Teal. And yes: we’ll do as much as we can… and our Pokémon will help. Maybe someday… they’ll be freed too.” That was one of Ray’s wishes: to open his Pokémon’s hearts. Whether Cipher finished his family or not, that was in the past already. However, their Pokémon were still alive, and with their heart shut… they were only battle machines. They were probably suffering from deep within their hearts. Ray hoped that they could save all the Shadow Pokémon that now populated Orre.

Teal smiled at Ray, and went inside the hole, ready to go back to her room. “Well Ray… see you tomorrow. Don’t be afraid, and trust me.”

“I will… good night, Teal.” As Teal went down the hole, Ray covered it with the vault and the pile of clothes. He then lay on his bed, thinking of the destiny he had chosen… was it right? Even if he wanted to bring Cipher down badly, it was a bad thing to get Teal involved, even if she was willing to do it. As he was immersed in thoughts, the fears Nascour had been talking about haunted him all of a sudden.

What if Teal stepped back in the last moment? What if they were caught? What would happen if they couldn’t escape? He could bear it if he just died, but Teal… she didn’t earn such destiny. He was scared. Ray felt that everything would go wrong, and that his death was now assured… and Teal’s. It was his fault…

No matter how much he tried to get those thoughts away, Ray couldn’t. He couldn’t sleep as he was tormented by those fears. Still, he had to do it: it was escape or die. There was no other choice. As the darkness of his room enveloped his thoughts, and when tiredness overtook his mind, Ray went to sleep, with hopes of succeeding on this feat…

***

It was very early still when loud knocks woke Ray up. Though he just slept about four hours, he got in all his senses. Ray was ready to execute the plan, but it was Teal’s responsibility for the most part. He trusted her completely, yet he was still scared… but there was no turning back now. The Rogue Soldier busted into the room, and called Ray:

“The time has come, Ray. Follow me…”

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That's it. It's getting tense... you'll see what happens next chapter. All replies are appreciated. Until next time! :)

Jirachi385

17th September 2005, 9:32 PM

I can't wait for the next chapter!,your story is awesome.
I wonder who has Suicune,Entei,Raikou,Articuno,Zapdos,Moltres,Tyran itar and Lugia.
I sure hope you make battles in future chapters you will make.

Sike Saner

17th September 2005, 9:44 PM

It looks as though you have a nice, solid work here. I'm a very big Cipher fan, and so, I like seeing it/them in a situation where it/they are given such power...Yes. This is nice and substantial, with good description and decent structural integrity. There were a couple of typos, and a few instances of single paragraphs that could have been broken down into several smaller paragraphs, but meh. No big deal.

And, oh yes...you'd better believe Nascour has powers. That was a nice telekinetic display...although it's a shame he had to go and ruin that nice ornament...I get sentimental about the strangest things, don't I?

Anyway, this is definitely one to watch in the future. Good show!

Drayano

18th September 2005, 1:37 AM

The Nascour power thing was quite unexpected, at least to me anyway. Plot's still flowing nicely. I did see one mistake, but unfortunately I copied something else so I lost it x_x. Some mispelling with thought instead of some other word or at least something like that.

Probably just speaking jibberish here. o.o;

Orion-Sama

21st September 2005, 1:47 AM

Great, more replies. Thanks a lot, everybody!

I'm glad you're liking it, Jirachi385. I will have a few battles in a few chapters. I just need to set the story off. Also, as for whom have the Legendary Pokémon... it'll be as obvious as it gets. I'll add a few twists to it, though. I hope you can keep on reading! :)

Hi there, Sike Saner. I'm glad you like the Fic. I'm also a big Cipher fan. I think they're the best criminal group ever, and they have the absolutely best villians. I ensure you that you'll end up loving them even more, as I'll actually develop them as characters. Something that was MAJORLY needed in Colosseum (Not sure about XD, though...). And I always felt Nascour had more going for him than just being a tough guy. I mean... those red eyes can't go to waste! And since most of his Team in the game were Psychic Pokémon, I thought it'd be a fitting trait for him. And it's OK to feel kinda sad for the ornament... it seemingly represents Cipher's fall, hehe. I hope you can keep on reading. I know you'll love it! :)

Thanks for the reply, Dray. I know it was kinda unexpected. But again... I wanted an uncommon trait in the main villain, and Nascour so earns it, really. And too bad you lost my mistake, hehe. Or my many mistakes, XD. Either way, I hope you can keep on reading. Until next time! :)

OK people, here's chapter 2. Will Ray escape? Or will he die? Read to find out...

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Chapter 2: When it all ends...

Ray got up from his bed at the command of the Rogue Soldier. The red helmet he wore just allowed to see his mouth, since a black cover had his eyes in complete darkness. Nonetheless, his evil smile showed that the soldier was really happy to see Ray in such situation. At last… Ray would die. Still, the blue-haired guy wasn’t afraid, and didn’t even sweat at the thought that he could die in a matter of minutes. He wouldn’t show any trace of fear, however hard the situation.

They got out of Ray’s room and into the hall that had many doors all over it. It was early in the morning, though it was hard to notice so in the depths of the Headquarters. Many soldiers were out already, and they all were gossiping about the upcoming event: Ray’s execution. As the soldiers looked at Ray, they all chuckled and pointed at him. Ray just ignored them as he walked behind the Rogue Soldier. He knew it was useless to try anything, because there were too many recruits all over, and he’d be stopped in his tracks.

Ray was unsure whether he’d survive this mess or not. Still, he had all his trust on Teal… she had never let him down. He still remembered their days in the Mt. Battle Training grounds. If it weren’t for Teal, he would’ve given up long ago. She was quite a strong-willed girl, and proof of that were her restless services for Cipher in hopes of learning about her past… that she found out yesterday. Teal sounded quite sure of helping Ray on this feat. At this thought, Ray felt better: his growing fear diminished. It wouldn’t be easy, but he had a chance at living.

Ray came to a halt when the Rogue Soldier was in front of the teleporter. The capsule-like device was big enough to fit two persons inside. “Come with me.” Ray did as the soldier said, and went inside the crystal capsule. Instantly, he felt that weird sensation: everything went invisible, and only a sort of moving light could be seen. Ray felt his body moved over somewhere else. When he was in such situation, he couldn’t even think… Ray and the soldier then appeared in the main room of the HQ.

“OK… we’re almost there. Still, we can’t take risks.” The Rogue Soldier got hold of a long rope that was hanging on his back. He tied Ray with it: the hands and the body. A small string remained, and the Rogue Soldier got hold of it. He then kicked Ray to the front: “Move out now!” Ray went on, with a small itch in the back, where the soldier just kicked him. They got in the lobby of the main room, where another bunch of soldiers were chatting. Many of them pointed and looked at Ray…

The luminous room was in a tense atmosphere: everyone was going to witness the death of a traitor. Ray didn’t notice before, but now he felt as if there were many people behind him. He turned back and saw many Cipher recruits, walking slowly behind the Rogue Soldier. There were both Soldiers and Snaggers, and all seemed to be very excited. He was in quite a difficult situation, and to make it worse, he didn’t see Teal among the Snaggers… that wasn’t good. His execution was near, and his friend wasn’t even there.

As Ray found himself in the Lobby of the main room, he stopped, awaiting instructions from the Rogue Soldier. He now looked at the elevator that took to the abandoned Colosseum. If only he could run on and escape… but he was tied now. “Turn right here.” said finally the Rogue Soldier, and Ray followed suit. They went through a small hall, and then found themselves in front of a big door. It was automatic, yet very rusty. It seemed that it was rarely used at all. What would lie inside? The door opened all of a sudden, moved by what seemed to be an extra sensorial power…

It was some sort of circular room, which had a whole lot of space in it. Though it was kind of arranged as a battlefield, there was no place for the watching public. Two big reflectors turned on. The light was blindingly intense. Ray closed his eyes from the surprise, and when he opened them, he was in the very center of that spacious room. Almost as soon as that, he heard a big ruckus behind him. Ray turned back and saw all the Cipher recruits entering the big room. They all formed a column formation, as the obedient soldiers they were.

The Rogue Soldier still had Ray tied up, and held the rope with force. It seemed that everyone waited for something in that big room. Ray was getting the creeps: he scanned all over the formations and couldn’t see Teal anywhere. Ray started to get worried, but his problems had just started…

All of a sudden, a small white spark appeared in front of him. That spark slowly materialized and took the form of the person Ray was afraid of the most. Nascour’s purple outfit, red drags, wavy hair and awe-inspiring eyes formed in front of Ray, and the blue-haired guy gulped with dismay. It was the end… Teal was nowhere to be seen. Cipher’s Boss looked at Ray’s fear, and he limited himself to smirk fast before starting the ceremony. As the recruits all over the room noticed the presence of Nascour, all of them applauded and caused a big ruckus in the place. Nascour then raised his arms and everyone calmed down. His shinny red eyes inspired fear on everybody.

“The traitor is here, Master Nascour. Whenever you want…” The Rogue Soldier bowed and handed the rope to Nascour. Cipher’s Boss got hold of the rope, and he then closed his eyes. A blue aura flown though the rope, and when it touched Ray, he felt a big pain. Ray screamed and twisted in the floor, where he had dropped due to the pain. The flow of psychic energy was crushing the apprentice soldier’s body, as the rope constrictions became even stronger with every second. Ray thought it was the end… he couldn’t stand it anymore. Still, he was aware that Nascour enjoyed pain, and that it was just the first punishment.

The flow of energy stopped, but Ray didn’t get up. His body still hurt in an immeasurable manner. Nascour then laughed sarcastically. Ray wanted to kill him, but he was unable to move…

As Nascour finished, he finally talked to the bunch of recruits that formed Cipher: “I’d like to welcome all the Cipher forces to this public execution. Though we didn’t have to resort to this activity for a long time, a new situation has arisen. Ray Espenur, with the apprentice rank of the Soldier class, has been found guilty of high treason against Cipher’s interests.”

“Ray Espenur helped in certain missions vital for Cipher. Such missions consisted in capturing important opposition leaders all over Orre and hold them as hostages in the HQ. However, Ray was found to help the hostages to escape more than once. Yesterday, Ray allowed the escape of Harland, Orre’s Spokesman. Our Commander, the Rogue Soldier, took the traitor to an audience with me. There, it was decided to execute Ray Espenur today.”

It was over… in mere minutes, Ray’s life would come to an end. He’d die in those lofty depths, inside that big room, surrounded by the Cipher forces. He was ashamed: Teal wasn’t here, which meant she stepped back at the thoughts of their new life. He had failed. His Pokémon would remain alone for many years to come, and they’d be still afflicted by their closed hearts. Teal would be obliged to work for Cipher even more, and she wouldn’t be able to get out by herself…

“Stand back. I’m going to consume this traitor’s life. Using only my right fist, he shall know destructive pain and power. That’s your reward for trying to play smart on us, fool. Good bye, Ray!” Nascour’s eyes shone in that dreadful white again, like the day he had the audience with Ray. His right arm enveloped in a red aura. He then opened his hand, that now shone in that red aura, and pointed it at Ray’s head. He knew that was it. It was all over. When Nascour’s hand closed, the pain would be immediate and reckless. His death would come afterwards, but he wouldn’t manage to save himself at all.

Ray saw his life passing through his mind in a fast dazzle: the happy days he had with his parents 9 years ago, the day they died and he was recruited in Cipher. The awful years at Mt. Battle and how Teal helped him in those difficult moments. His small efforts to thwart Cipher’s desires by allowing the hostages to escape… it was all for naught at the end. He despised Teal, but he understood his friend’s motives after all. It would’ve been much too impossible to oppose Cipher at this rate… but he so wanted to at least make the effort. Nascour’s hand started to close. Ray started to feel the psychic aura around his body. It’d be over soon. A sole tear of impotence slipped through his chin. He just hoped that Teal would take care of his Pokémon and herself…

“WIGGGGGLYTTTUFFFF!” It was so sudden that Ray couldn’t believe it. An ear-ripping sound surrounded the room completely, exactly before Nascour could close his hand completely. The evil Boss lost the focus immediately: Ray was freed from that psychic power. Teal was helping him after all! Still, he was completely entangled by the rope, and couldn’t get up. All the soldiers were having a hard time on focusing their attention. Wigglytuff’s shriek was unbearably strong. Nascour tried to stop Ray whom had just started to slip through the floor like a land worm. The powerful sound waves and the awfully high scream were too much for Nascour to bear: he couldn’t concentrate his mind power at all. It was piercing Ray’s brain too, but he did his best to get over it an try to escape at any cost.

All of a sudden, the shriek stopped, but everyone’s ears still hurt and had an inexistent sound locked on them. No one could react fast enough for when they saw a Wigglytuff materializing near Ray’s body. Along the pink puff Pokémon, the Class A Snagger, Teal, materialized too. Everyone was too surprised for words, and couldn’t even move because the ring of Wigglytuff’s voice still haunted their heads. Teal touched Ray, and Wigglytuff touched Teal. “Teleport to the Entrance now!”

Immediately, the three of them disappeared. Ray was still tied up, but he was now going somewhere else. Alongside him were Teal and Wigglytuff. They all traveled though a black realm, much like the one that appeared whenever Ray used a teleporter. He also felt that same sensation of psychic movement. All of them materialized somewhere else. They were now in the entrance of Cipher Headquarters. It was the rusty, old arena that used to be the Deep Colosseum. Teal untied Ray so fast he even felt a small pain. When he was untied, Teal held his arm and got a Poké Ball on her left hand.

“Come back, Wigglytuff. Great job! Now come with me Ray. There’s no time to lose!” Teal pulled Ray from the arm, and ran at a place rightwards the old arena. Though the old structure was quite spacious, it was empty for the most part. However, as they ran though it, they finally made to a big door. Teal got out some kind of remote with a button, and she pressed it. The door opened slowly, and it revealed a long garage that was automatically illuminated as soon as the door opened completely. Vehicles and motorcycles of all sorts filled the room, and Teal, still pulling Ray from the arm, ran towards one cool motorcycle. It was of a radiant red color, and was long enough to ride two people.

“Get up.” Teal climbed in the front, and Ray sat in the motorcycle’s back. Though a bit too close and uptight, they fitted in the vehicle well enough. Teal then turned it on, and started to accelerate. All of a sudden, a big bunch of Cipher soldiers came into the old Colosseum though the elevator. “Stop now! You’re not going to escape!”

Teal put a helmet on her head, and told Ray to do so with another helmet she had. The soldiers were approaching the garage, and as soon as both friends noticed it, Teal released the handbrake and started to ride through the garage. In front of them was a smaller passage that surely took to the surface. They crossed it and got into a long hallway. It was so dark that only the motorcycle’s light could shed some light on it. After crossing countless columns and faint bulbs of light, they finally made it to another passage. Such passage at the end was illuminated by the light of day, and they were so near of it! Only a few meters, and they’d be out of Cipher’s HQ.

However, the passage’s door started to come down. Someone (Probably the soldiers that were pursuing them.) was shutting it down. Teal didn’t lower the speed, though. “Lower your head, Ray. We’re gonna pass though that passage whatever it takes!” Ray obeyed his friend, and ducked so his head wouldn’t crash in the now lower passage. Teal lowered her head too, and then pressed a button in the right maneuver. The motorcycle then launched on in a very high speed! Such speed allowed them to go under the passage and get out of the Headquarters at last!

“We made it! You rock, Teal!”

“I know.” She just giggled afterwards as she kept on riding.

As they were crossing the vast desert, their worries didn’t stop. The intense heat and the blinding sunlight were a bit of an obstacle. They were out now, though. However, after a measly two minutes, they could hear the sound of several motorcycle motors behind them. Ray looked back and gasped.

“We better hurry up. They’re following us!”

“No way!” A horde of what seemed to be smaller, faster motorcycles was behind the proscribed recruits. Cipher soldiers rode them all, as their blue helmets and orange scarves distinguished them. The Cipher soldiers were quite skilled at the road, and they were nearer Teal and Ray with every second passing: their motorcycles were way too fast. Teal tried to lose them by gearing and turning around various hills and dunes, but it didn’t work: the soldiers were still tailing them with ease.

“They’re coming at us! What can we do now?”

“Don’t worry, Ray. I’ll take care of them!” Teal lost the track a bit as she got a Poké Ball out of her jacket. “Go, Rapidash!” The Poké Ball opened as Teal held it on her hands. In the desert, a Pokémon materialized. “Rappid!!” The horse Pokémon and its crimson flames appeared running on par with its owner’s motorcycle. Rapidash seemed to be eager to battle: an expected trait, because it was a Shadow Pokémon.

Teal looked at Rapidash, though she knew her Pokémon wouldn’t respond, or even recognize her. “Rapidash, those persons behind us are our enemies. Attack them.”

Rapidash then came to a full stop. Teal lowered the motorcycle’s speed a bit as her Pokémon turned back to the prosecutors. Its eyes then showed a deep anger. The soldiers didn’t stop, regardless of what could come. Rapidash’ flaming mane started to twist and burst in flames all around the Pokémon’s surroundings. The horse Pokémon then ran with such agility that the soldiers didn’t even see it coming. Rapidash crashed with the menacing group of pursuers, and burned everything in its path. All the motorcycles exploded, and the soldiers were all scorched, yet still alive. Rapidash cried out and then charged back with its owner.

“Superb job, Rapidash. Come back.” Teal called her Pokémon back to its Poké Ball. As the red beam took the elegant horse Pokémon back into the sphere, Teal made a full stop. Ray and Teal looked back, and both were quite relieved to see no more prosecutors, just a seemingly visible pile of burning motorcycles and the group of soldiers scorched in the floor. The heat of the desert was hard to ignore, though.

“Teal… thanks.” Ray didn’t have words for what his friend just did for him. She had saved his life. He’d never be able to pay her…

“You have nothing to thank me for. We’re together on this.”

“You’re right. Well, I guess we better find a place to hide.”

“You’re right. We don’t want Cipher spotting us so fast, do we? Let’s go!” Teal accelerated, and her motorcycle ignited again. The two friends then went through the vast desert, with hopes of finding a getaway…

***

“WHAT? What do you mean that they escaped?” The Rogue Soldier was really furious. The soldiers he fetched off to capture the proscribed traitors failed on getting them, and returned all scorched…

“That Teal girl used her Rapidash…”

“And it impacted with us on said prosecution. We ended up like that…”

“You’re pathetic!” A tense feeling filled the lobby of the HQ’s main room. Many Soldiers and Snaggers that were eager to watch the execution of Ray were very excited and furious too. Nascour was in the same table as the Rogue Soldier and the defeated Soldiers. Though quiet, his eyes were filled in a deep anger. However, Nascour was going over the current situation, mixed in with his big fury. Two traitors were on the loose. He had a bad feeling about that situation… he had to take actions.

“OK. Enough of that! We better figure out what we’ll do about this.” Nascour’s angry voice went though as a knife in the Soldier’s throats. Even those that were in other tables muted completely.

“But we’ve lost them, Master. I doubt we’ll find them. At least today…” The Rogue Soldier was very angry too… but he knew Ray well enough. He was sure that this wouldn’t be easy.

“If you say so… I’ll send the call to all our Admins in Orre tomorrow. The escapees will surely turn on a city in hopes to defeat the Admin settled in the place.” Nascour was sure they’d be captured. Ray wasn’t his main worry. Teal, on the other hand, would not only hinder the overall operation, but now with her on the loose, he was sure that many of the strongest Pokémon would be snagged.

“As of now, get ready. I’ll send in a special team to look for them right now. We can’t underestimate the escape of our second best Snagger…” Nascour then got up and walked away. The Rogue Soldier just smirked… it wasn’t something to take lightly. The soldiers that stood in the lobby kept on drinking and discussing the matter for long hours. The HQs never were that concerned about a break-over… not that they had experienced one before.

***

Night slowly fell over the vast Orre region. The citizens, all under Cipher’s command, went back home as soon as the sunset took place. It was a world of crime as soon as darkness came over the cities. They had hopes for a better future, but after 11 years of Cipher’s domain, the hopes slowly faded. Could it be that their sought-after hero was in the desert?

No one knew… but two persons were willing to oppose Cipher and tear it down. As they hid in a rocky hill like many all over the desert, the two individuals thought about their new life. Both former Cipher recruits, they had a rough idea of how things were. As they lay in the low-height mount, they conversed of many things.

Ray, the blue-haired guy, started to talk: “So… what do you think?”

The girl by his side, Teal, replied: “Though I’m scared, I know we’re doing a good thing…”

“Scared? I see…”

“Yeah. We’re against a big enemy.”

Ray was aware of that, but he was very convinced of doing what he was doing. “Teal… if you don’t want to help me, it’s OK. I don’t want to put you in trouble.”

“No. I want to help you. Now that I know my past… I can’t forgive Cipher for what they did…”

“I know. They’ve gone too far to reach their actual position.”

“It’s going to be hard, but we must stick together…”

“Yep.” Ray was pleased to see that Teal supported him. “And… thanks for everything. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here now.”

Teal giggled, and then got up, sitting on where she used to lay. “You thought I would leave you there to die? I‘d never do that…”

“For a moment, I thought you had left me there… sorry for distrusting you.”

“No problem. If I were in that position, I would be very worried too. But you know you can trust me in everything you want…”

“Thanks, Teal. Maybe we’re on our own, but with you by my side, I feel that I still have a family…”

“Really?”

“Yes. I can’t explain it. You’ve been there with me whenever I needed you.”

Teal was feeling well. Ray did appreciate her. Still, she couldn’t let him know her true feelings, at least for now… “We’re friends, Ray. I’ll always be there for you. And I know you’ll be there too!”

“I know… anyway. Guess I’ll tell you tomorrow’s plan.” Ray got out a map from the backpack he handed to Teal yesterday. He opened it, and it turned out to be a map of the Orre region. It marked all the cities of the region, and places such as the Realgam Tower. “Here’s the Map of Orre… however, I need to have a rough idea of our current location.”

“Don’t worry about it, Ray. The exit we went though went northwards. We were nearby Pyrite town. If we went to the north, we’re the closest to Agate Village now…” As Teal said that, she marked the route with her finger. “Roughly, we’re halfway between Pyrite and Agate. If we get up early tomorrow, we should reach either at 10 AM.”

“I see. Are you okay with going to Agate first?”

“Not really. I think we should go to Pyrite first. Miror B. is much weaker than Dakim. Remember he’s got Entei…”

“Don’t be afraid, Teal. Though Dakim will be tough, I know we’ll be able to beat him if we work together. Also… I’m curious about Dakim.”

“Curious? About what?”

“You’ll see…”

“Ray… we really shouldn’t take so high risks.”

“Believe in me, Teal. Agate must be our first point of action… there’s no other way.”

“How so?”

“The few support we got reside there, albeit secretly. Nett and the Kid’s Grid moved to a hidden oasis near Agate. Rui, though demented for the loss of Wes and her grandparents, is there. Even Dakim could end up helping us… you’ll see.”

Though Teal was still unsure, she knew she could trust Ray, even if it was kind of crazy: “I’ll believe in you, Ray. I barely heard of Dakim… I just met him briefly when I gave Entei back to him. And well… we will need support if we ever want the slightest chance against Cipher.”

“Then it’s settled. We’ll go to Agate first hour tomorrow!”

Though very immersed on their conversation, Teal and Ray were tired after so many things that happened today. They looked at the star-filled sky, with a beautiful crescent moon on top. The night was cold, but they were burning with hope. As the two friends sat on that hill, Teal looked at her right arm. Her face showed a big feeling of shame and impotence. Teal knew she had stolen other people’s Pokémon with that arm, which was placed on her by Cipher. Still, she, not her arm, did the damage…

“Is everything OK, Teal?”

“Yes… it’s just that I’ve done awful things.”

Ray just stood quiet. He didn’t know what to say without hurting Teal’s feelings. He just placed his hand on her right shoulder: “We’ll solve it along the way. Everything Cipher obliged us to do…”

“But…”

“But nothing! You had a reason for helping Cipher. So did me. We’ve served them long enough…”

“Guess you’re right… sorry.”

Teal felt quite sleepy now. She grabbed one Poké Ball and threw it as she said: “Go, Dragonite.” The ball opened, and a white burst of energy materialized in the air, as it revealed the bulky, powerful, albeit a bit dumb-looking Dragon Pokémon. Dragonite descended to the mount its Trainer was at, and then lowered its head as it said “Groww!” softly. It then proceeded to let its Trainer rub its head… Ray thought that Pokémon was much too docile for a Shadow Pokémon.

Teal giggled and looked back at Ray. “Not really. Not all my Pokémon are Shadow Pokémon. I managed to save this Dragonite up to this day. He’s always been with me… he’s the only thing left of my past life. My life before Cipher recruited me… my dad gave him to me since he was a Dratini.”

“And how you’ve managed to hide it from Ein all this time? Even today he runs periodic checks for pure Pokémon to corrupt…”

“He’s a good actor. Whenever Ein came, he acted all mean and nasty! That’s how.”

“I see… you’re smart. But why did you release him now?”

“Security. Nascour won’t lose any second. Dragonite will be on the lookout while we sleep. He’ll be able to fend off anyone easily. Not that they’ll find us anyway… but we can’t take risks for now.”

“That’s the way. I thought of that, but since all of my Pokémon were corrupted, I didn’t know what we could do. Good going, Teal.”

“Thanks!” As she finished, Teal yawned strongly.

“Well… you’re tired. We better get some rest. Tomorrow will be a hard day.”

“I’m with you.” Teal turned to her Dragonite and gave him some instructions. “Look all around, Dragonite. If you see someone suspicious in the vicinity, attack it at once. Protect us at all costs… if things get out of control, wake us up.”

Dragonite nodded, and proceeded to stand on the hill, looking all over the surroundings. Over time, he set of and flew around. Teal was sure of their safety for that night. “Now let’s have a nap, Ray. Everything will be OK.”

“I know, Teal. Good night.”

“Sweet dreams.” The two friends lay on the hill and slowly closed their eyes. Teal’s loyal Dragonite stood awake and willing to protect his Trainer and her friend. Though it was a peaceful night overall, they both knew hard times awaited them. Still, their old life had ended that day. The desire for a new life and a better future awoke in them that night… and tomorrow, the first day of their new life would take place.

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I know, very misleading title. :D

I hope you enjoy this chapter too. Replies will be greatly appreciated. Until next Chapter! :)

♥~Darkness Within~♥

21st September 2005, 1:54 AM

Great chapters

Sike Saner

21st September 2005, 3:30 AM

Aww, Nascour didn't get to use his nasty ol' powers... :p

Anyway. We get an escape complete with bike chase, which is always nifty (uh-oh, I said nifty...), but to top it off, you bring in a Rapidash. I enjoyed that; Rapidash is one of those Pokémon which I don't see enough of to suit me, so thanks for using one. ^_^

Now, I think I'm going to get the popcorn and soda for the upcoming appearance of Miror B. *squeals in joyous anticipation* and also the eventual appearance of Demented Rui! Hooray!

Drayano

21st September 2005, 6:04 PM

Unexpected things aren't bad at all, I like to see them =].

I didn't actually spot any errors, good going ^^. So now they're heading to Agate, interesting...

I look forward to seeing Dakim.

Orion-Sama

26th September 2005, 12:59 AM

Thanks agin for the replies.

I'm glad you liked the chapters, AshMistyTogetic... but try to say something else next time. I'd like to know what you liked and what you didn't. This way, I can improve and you can enjoy the story more. Thanks either way... :)

Glad you liked the chapter, Sike Saner. And I'm glad you liked Rapidash. I tried to use a few Pokémon that aren't used much, if at all. I went off my favorites for once too (Just a few...), so expect a few more neglected Pokémon soon. And well... it's still too soon for Miror B. But he'll be there. Demented Rui is in this chapter, so, enjoy! I hope you can keep on reading, and thanks again! :)

Thanks for the reply, Dray. Hehe, I also like unexpected things too. And I'm impressed you couldn't find mistakes, XD. Maybe I'm good at it? Nah... oh well. Be prepared, for the next chapters will be battle-packed. And there's MANY things I'll reveal on Dakim. Thanks again! :)

It's been a kinda long wait, but here's chapter 3. I had to make a few adjustements to make it more intense and coherent. How will Ray and Teal fare in Agate Village? Read to find out...

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Chapter 3: The Agate infiltration.

The morning sun showered the elegant room on top of the Orre Region. The faint light crossed the big window on top of Realgam Tower: a structure that had Orre under it, representing the control of Cipher. The room, filled with precious stones, Pokémon statues and a desk, was the personal place of the most powerful man of Orre. A man that controlled the region at will, and whose fearsome red eyes were enough to cause fear upon anyone that saw them. A man whose powers went beyond the physical plane, and actually had a mental reach. The man with wavy white hair, however, was very angry, but he was about to take actions against the recent events.

Nascour grabbed a microphone that was on his desk, turning it on. Way down below ground, in the HQs, the various loudspeakers started to transmit the message of the Boss. The concerned Soldiers of the most powerful organization of Orre were eager to hear words from the very mouth of Nascour…

“To all recruits: as you must be informed of, the Headquarters experienced a breakout yesterday. The escapees were Ray Espenur and Teal Robinson. The former is an apprentice Soldier, while the latter is a Class A Snagger. They’re loose somewhere on Orre, and we must find them. The recruit that finds them, dead or alive, will be gratified with a BIG reward. Be on the lookout whenever you go to the surface… look for them EVERYWHERE! I’ll reward any hint on their location too. As of now, I’ll inform the other Admins of Orre of this situation. Remember that if you get them, Cipher will reward you. Go on and look for them. This was Nascour. Out…”

The fuss was immediate: everyone went to their rooms and prepared for a search all over the desert. They all wanted that reward, and coming from Nascour himself meant it should be a very big prize. He was sure that Teal wasn’t a pushover, and he had to get support from the other Admins because of that. He was clueless on the direction they could’ve taken, though. He had to resort to call his right hand, Ein, first. Unfortunately, Nascour ignored the fact that the escapees were more westwards than that…

Indeed, Teal and Ray were crossing the oasis that preceded Agate Village. It was the only place of Orre that had a green lush and a beautiful, vegetation-filled landscape. The nice morning breeze was pretty much unheard by both of them, because of the motorcycle’s speed. Teal and Ray had a good night thanks to Dragonite. When they woke up, they noticed a bunch of motorcycle parts and many blue helmets scattered all over the area of the hill they slept at. Still, they had a good night thanks to the powerful Dragon Pokémon of Teal. Now, they were going though a line of palm tress and some lakes around the escapade.

“We’re almost there, Ray.”

“That’s great.”

“We can still go back… unless you’re REALLY sure of doing this.”

“I’m sure, Teal. Agate is the only place we can go to, if we ever want a small chance against Cipher.”

“As you wish… look! That’s the mountain.

The palm tress slowly faded behind, and the lakes were left on their back too. The scenario was still green and full of life, but now, a mountainous atmosphere started to form. The trees were now those that were a common sight anywhere else but Orre: those with the top like a cloud. As the friends went on their way, they found themselves running on par with a long river. This river went way up, to the mountainous region of Orre. The small hill that started to stand out below the big mountains far away was Agate Village: they were almost there.

Teal stopped when they made it to the bridge. As they stepped down of the motorcycle, a Cipher Soldier came in. He wore the usual uniform: blue helmet that covered the face, armor-like blue outfit, and the orange scarf. He looked at Teal and Ray with an evident suspicion, as if they were intruders of sorts.

“Who are you?”

Both were prepared already… “Hi. I’m Teal Robinson, Class A Snagger.”

“And I’m Ray Espenur, apprentice Soldier.

The guard was still adamant about it, even after they revealed their ties with Cipher. “Show me proof that you’re actually Cipher members, and I might let you pass…”

Teal and Ray got their ID out, and handed it to the guard. He checked them for a while, and then handed them back. “OK then. You might pass.”

The guard just stood in the side, as the two recruits went through the bridge, into the small hill that was Agate Village…

***

Deep under the beautiful green town, Dakim was meditating. He was in his room, attempting to attain a high level of concentration for today’s training. The room that seemed to be made of ancient, rusty rocks, with many plants all over it, and a circular stone that appeared to be old and creaky, was a very adequate place to heighten one’s mind. A very faint gas lamp lit the place. Dakim had his eyes closed. He was considerably tall, and his body bestowed amazing muscles. The bulky man had a necklace made of Poké Balls, a white outfit and red marks on his face. His blazing red hair was one of the few visible things on that room.

Suddenly, a ring cut the soothing silence of the room. Dakim reluctantly got up, moaning for the sudden interruption of his daily meditation. He went to a corner, where the telephone rested on, and still making noise. Dakim picked it up, and a screen turned on. Slowly, the only man Dakim feared materialized in the monitor’s screen. His red eyes had always intimidated him, even if he always tried to stand strong to them. After the short glance, the two men started a conversation through the telephone.

“Good morning, Master Nascour.”

“Good morning, Dakim. I have something to inform you of.”

“What is it, Master?”

“Yesterday, two Recruits escaped of the Headquarters. One was Ray Espenur, accused of high treason against Cipher. He escaped of his own execution yesterday, alongside his accomplice, Teal Robinson, Class A Snagger.”

“I see…”

“I want you and your men to be on guard, and look for the escapees all over the vicinity of Agate Village. I’ll send you their profiles through the screen. Be sure to look for them, Dakim. I’m counting on you…”

“OK, master. I’ll inform the soldiers right away.”

“Don’t fail, Dakim… or you know what’ll happen.”

“Count me on, Master Nascour. Out…”

As the screen loaded the profiles of the two traitors, Dakim was thinking to himself: “Why am I still doing this? It’s wrong… but I can’t betray Nascour. Else, My Pokémon will…”

Dakim grabbed a radio that was on a dusty table. He had to call the guards. He knew Nascour could see him wherever he was, so he had to take actions fast. He didn’t want to… the feeling of serving the person he hated the most was very discouraging. But he had no other choice…

***

Ray and Teal were now inside the village. Their first destination was the house on top of the hill, a house that was built inside a rusty tree. The town was as deserted as it never was, though. It was as if Cipher got rid of all the people that formerly lived in that place. Could they be as evil as to practically eliminate the old people for their heinous needs? The thought was just too awful, but they kept on going. Few Soldiers were around, and all of them were sure Teal and Ray were recruits, as the guard had informed them already. They just saluted the running friends, as they went up the small hill.

It was then when the radios of all the soldiers started to sound. They all were wondering why for, but they responded either way. Teal and Ray were going up, but stopped nearby, trying to catch up the conversation.

“What’s it, Master Dakim?”

“Look out for two escapees. I want a team to go outside and look in the vicinity. Another team must stay and stand on guard for any signs of them.”

“What are their names?”

“Ray Espenur and Teal Robinson.”

“OK, Master. Out…”

The two friends were on a tight spot: Nascour didn’t lose any second. They had to go on and try to avoid as many soldiers as possible. It had to be fast, because they were getting another call from the bridge guard now.

“Damn! Now he tells us to stop them. They’re inside the village! I let them pass…”

“Roger. We’ll get them now!”

“Hey, you two! Where do you think you’re going?”

“We have to run, Teal!” Ray and Teal went upwards, as a group of about 10 Soldiers was chasing them. They crossed two bridges, and many pathways that went up. Albeit peaceful and calm, the village was now a site of prosecution. Teal and Ray were finally intercepted on top of the hill, by another group of soldiers.

“We have you now.”

“Did you really think you could escape? Master Dakim will be pleased.”

They were outnumbered and surrounded. Still, they had one way out…

“We must fight back, Teal. Send your Pokémon out.”

“I know, that’s our only chance.”

“Let’s go. Gengar!”

“Go, Jynx!”

Their Pokémon was their only chance at survival. They didn’t want to resort to dirty tactics, but it was that or death. The soldiers were caught off guard, and they tried to reach their Poké Balls, but it was too late.

“Shadow Ball!”

“Ice Beam!”

The Pokémon attacked. The Shadow Pokémon, Gengar, smiled with even more emphasis than usual, and he created a big ball of ethereal energy on his hands. The sphere thrived in darkness, and the Shadow Pokémon hurled the sphere when it was of a considerably big size. The ball hit a group of soldiers, and the explosion was massive enough to send them flying and leave them unconscious.

Jinx closed her eyes, and concentrated on her hands. They slowly formed a small blue orb, which was gathering cold air in the surroundings. The orb became bigger, and then Jynx focused her powers, expanding the orb and shooting it as a beam. It went fast through Teal, whom felt a small shiver, and then hit the soldiers that were in front. They all ended up frozen, and unable to move.

“Whew…”

Their Pokémon were still willing to battle, and destroy those that they considered enemies. Being Shadow Pokémon, they couldn’t help it… their battle desire was insatiable. The Trainers called their Pokémon back, as they knew they could end up damaging themselves, or even their own Trainers. Teal was almost hit by her Jynx’s attack…

“Well, that’ll teach them. We’re on top at last. Let’s go visit Rui.”

“You think she’ll be of any help? You told me she’s completely demented, and hasn’t moved out of her grandparents’ house for years.”

“We should try at least.” Teal was still against it, but she nodded afterwards. They went through the frozen soldiers, and on to the biggest house in the village. It was an old, rusty tree, which stood out above everything in that small hill. It had a door in the front and some windows on both sides. Ray knocked the door, but didn’t get any response. He did it again… nothing. The third knocking wasn’t any good either.

“See? She’s completely out of this world. Not to mention her ability is futile now that pretty much every Pokémon in the region has been corrupted.”

“I don’t want to see her for her ability of seeing the darkness of Shadow Pokémon. I trust her to give us imperative information.”

“If she knew anything, Cipher would’ve taken care of her long ago…”

“We don’t lose anything. I’ll break the door.”

Ray tackled the door with force. He did it another five times before it went loose and fell down. The fall of the door raised a big cloud of dust from inside the house. Teal closed her eyes, and after the dust faded out, she helped Ray on getting up. The two friends entered the house, which was completely ridded by dust. The place was completely dark, and an unusual hollowness could be felt. Teal and Ray lurked around, bumping with each other many times. At last, Ray found a light switch, and he pressed it. The dusty bulb was very faint, but it allowed enough visibility.

There were some stairs, and what seemed to be a living room. The place was filled with dust, accumulated for years, and that nobody cleaned off. There was nobody inside. A broken TV was in front of the couches in the living room. The place was so dusty and old; the wood walls were creaking and falling over at some places. It was as if nobody lived there for almost ten years…

“Maybe you were right, Teal.”

“Let’s just go upstairs… there’s bound to be something.”

“OK then.” The two went through the stairs nearby, still surrounded by the accumulated dust, which lifted whenever they stepped, and thus they had to cover their nose and mouth to not be affected by it. The stairs were short, and they made it into a small hall that had two doors. Ray went into the one in front after going up. He knocked on it… nothing.

“Guess she’s out, on her own world…” Teal was getting a bit impatient, and she was sure that right now, even more Soldiers were looking for them.

“Man. I never expected she would be THAT demented when Harland told me about it.” Said Ray as he opened the door. It was a completely empty room. There wasn’t anything… except for a few pictures. They were photos: all of them filled with dust. It was actually hard for both friends to find them in the completely gray room, but they managed. As they dusted them off, they noticed they were all photos of Wes and Rui’s deceased grandparents. They were all cut off from certain sides, as if someone had ripped a part of the photo.

“That’s scary… it seems she couldn’t get over it.” Ray was a bit scared now. It seemed Rui was demented beyond recovery. All of a sudden, they heard a sound of something crashing on the floor in the next room. Teal jumped out of fear, but then she calmed down. They couldn’t believe it, and were too wondrous on how could Rui be after so many years on solitude.

“Let’s see if Rui is still alive…” They went out of that empty room. As they walked through the hall that was the second floor, with a very annoying crack of the rusty floor at every step they took, they were sure that Rui was bound to be in the last room of the house. After the short walk, Ray knocked the door of the other room. The door squeaked, and opened slowly. The place was so old that it was an expected happening… then the voice was heard.

“Is it you, Wes?” The voice was that of a woman. A bit raspy (Probably because of the accumulated dust of all those years.), but it could still be identified as a woman’s voice. Teal was very scared… she knew it wouldn’t be nice when Rui found it wasn’t Wes. It was impressive that Rui was still alive, though…

Though a bit reluctant and not willing to, Ray opened the door and went inside the room. The room had two beds, a long table, and a clear window. The table was completely filled with food of all sorts, and a big water jar. A mature woman was sitting in one of the beds: her orange hair with two pigtails ending in spikes, her purple top, white mini-skirt and more importantly, her blue, big eyes, were proof that she was, indeed, Rui. She was much more mature than what Ray was aware of… it had been 15 years after all, and he just knew how she looked like 15 years ago. Her clothes were old and torn out, and her skin was so white it seemed she had been living long years without proper feeding (Despite the food-filled table in front of her.).

Rui was looking at the floor, but she raised the sight when she felt the presence of someone else. She looked at Ray with her big eyes… they seemed to be tired, but they also projected a deep sadness and unawareness of what was going on. Rui fixed her sight on Ray’s eyes… apparently looking for someone, for something. It took her quite some minutes to react, while Ray was having the chills: those eyes were quite scary to look at. They were abnormal, inhuman… and they somehow absorbed Ray. Rui mumbled, and then whispered something neither Ray nor Teal could hear: “No… I was mistaken again. It’s just them.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“Rui, we need your help… Orre is being controlled by Cipher! We’re trying to oppose them, but we won’t be able to do much without help from others.” Ray tried to get around her deep blue eyes as he talked to Rui. But it was as if he hadn’t said anything. Rui still looked at him, like some sort of clueless kid. She muttered again: “They’re just trying to fool me. They’re not real. Just ghosts that want me to join them…”

“She’s truly crazy…” Teal whispered, as Ray tried to make Rui react by touching her shoulders, but Rui didn’t respond. Instead, she just covered her ears, and started to cry, “Leave! Leave!” nonstop. She closed her eyes, and started to twist around the bed, as if someone had taken control of her mind.

Ray raised his hands, trying to grab her, and attempted to make her come back to senses: “Rui, please understand! We’re here to help you!” Rui didn’t hear Ray’s pleadings, though. She kept on screaming, “Leave! LEAVE!” and then started to grab and throw away the dishes, food and glasses that were in that long table in her room. Teal and Ray had no other choice, but to run away. As the plates flew away through the door, the two friends went downstairs and left the house in a heartbeat.

“She’s very crazy, you know?”

“It seems so. I guess we’ll have to…” But as the previous shock faded, they noticed they were completely surrounded. The Soldiers that were chasing them were back, with reinforcements. Some were shivering as they just were thawed off the ice prison they were subjected to. Others were sweating, and agitated. They were those that were cast away by Gengar’s attack. Alongside them, five fearsome Soldiers stood in front of Teal and Ray. The uniforms of those five were different, though: their outfit and helmet was white, and it had red stripes forming weird shapes all over them. Their scarf was red instead of orange too. Some guys, some girls (As implied by the longer hair and the lipstick-painted lips.), all of them looked angry. Teal and Ray walked back, thinking that it was all over. They had no escape, and no one to help them…

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Man... I'm going too cliffhanger happy! Just to keep the tension. :D

BTW, I'll take a bit more to have new chapters up from now on. I just had up to chapter 3 already made. Just cope up with me... I'll try to write as fast as possible, so you don't get too impatient.

Replies are greatly appreciated. Until next chapter! :)

Drayano

26th September 2005, 7:53 PM

Nice Cliffhanger. Wonder what'll happen next. o.o;

Found one mistake this time.

Jinx closed her eyes, and concentrated on her hands.

Looking forward to chapter 4 ^^.

Sike Saner

26th September 2005, 8:05 PM

I shall now applaud you for your great portrayal of Dakim. Most of the Cipher fics I've read have just portrayed him as a big, hulking jerk or moron. I'm happy to see him treated with respect for a change. ^_^

And huzzah for demented Rui! She is responsible for this chapter's highlight:

She muttered again: “They’re just trying to fool me. They’re not real. Just ghosts that want me to join them…”

That was creepy and very cool. Awesome.

ShoOCha0tic

5th October 2005, 7:03 AM

wow that only took me an hour to read XD anyways, i love ur story!! its totally awsome!!! i wonder wat will hapen next for the ray & co....makes me wanna play XD even more!!! great job! keep up the good work ^^

Orion-Sama

11th October 2005, 4:00 AM

Hi everybody. Been quite a while, hehe. I just found an excellent time to write, though, which means I won't take as much from now on, hopefully..

Thanks for the comment, Drayano. Chapter 4 is finally here, so you'll see what will happen. It's action-packed and intense. The very first Battles at last! Thanks for pointing out the mistake. I can't believe I lost that, hehe. I hope you can keep on reading. Thanks again! :)

Hi Sike Saner! Thanks for your comments. To tell you the truth, I never found Dakim to be much of a thoughtless brute in the games. He had some kind of weird depth on him... and I thought of emphasizing such feeling. I'm glad you liked it, though. There's more on him in the upcoming chapters, which I hope will be of your liking. And well... I'm very glad you did like the part with demented Rui. That was the part I felt very weak, but I couldn't do more on it anymore. Seems I didn't fail as much as I thought, hehe. I hope you can keep on reading. Thanks again! :)

Thanks for the reply, ShoOcha0tic. I know my stories aren't very long, hehe. And I'm glad you're liking it. I love those games a lot, and that's why I do this: to emphasize what they should have. Plus, I'm a BIG fan of everything Orre. I hope you can keep on reading. Thanks again! :)

Well people, Chapter 4 is finally here! I'll relieve you off a bit of tension, since this is a bit longer than I had first planned. However, there's more tension at the end... I just can't resist. Be prepared for an action-packed chapter!

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Chapter 4: Battles beneath Agate.

“You two…” Said one of those white-dressed soldiers. He had a very hard, masculine voice, and had quite a body: his muscles stood out. He was very tall too. Ray thought he would resemble Dakim with untapped accuracy. “We were informed by Master Dakim that there were two escapees inside the Village. Those must be you.”

“And what if we are?” Ray stepped front, ready to take everything on.

“You don’t know who you’re messing with, boy.” The girl soldier that was at the left side of the strong guy stepped in.

The strong, tall guy broke in again: “We’re a group of Elite Soldiers trained by Master Dakim himself. You’re in for a world of pain!”

“Dakim told us that Boss Nascour would reward anyone that got hold of you.” Said the white soldier that was at the right side of the strong guy.

“Amazing. Nascour didn’t lose any second on tracking us down…” Teal was quite scared of the current situation. She was unsure whether they’d make it out or not…

“Either way, we won’t go down without fighting! No matter how strong you are, or appear to be… we’ll battle!” Ray was determined to do everything on his hands. He wouldn’t give it up so soon. Still, it was just the first obstacle, and they were already in a very hard situation.

“OK then… if you want to. Actually, Dakim is willing to have a word with you. However, if you’re that interested in having an audience with our Master, you better be sure you’re ready to have a hard time against us.”

“You’re saying you’re not going to get us now?”

“Indeed. There would be no fun in doing that. We’re eager to see if you’re actually up to opposing Cipher. I sincerely doubt it, but I’m willing to attest it by myself.” The big Soldier let out a loud laugh after that. He apparently was looking forward to it.

“OK then. You’re on…” Ray was looking for a Pokémon Battle long ago…

“Right on. You all must leave now, Soldiers… we won’t need you.” Though in total disagreement, the shivering and the fatigued Soldiers left the spot reluctantly, alongside the other 20 soldiers that served as reinforcement. The five soldiers with the white outfits stood there, though…

“Let’s see you trying to reach Master Dakim. You’ll have to defeat all five of us if you really expect to have a chance against our Master. But that’s not all… you’ll have to find where’s our Master too.”

“Yeah, whatever… we’ll do it!”

“OK. Now… disperse!” Four soldiers ran in different directions and scattered all over the hill where the Village was on, all going downwards. Two of them vanished after running to the lowest level: a small pond below a bridge. One of them stood in the spot. He seemed to be the youngest of them all. The short guy smiled while he got two Poké Balls out.

Ray grinned and let out a small laughing sound. “Then you’ll be easy…”

“You think I’m an amateur like you? Master Dakim wouldn’t recruit someone as young as me into his very own Elite body for no reason. I’ll show you that I’m no pushover!”

“OK, kiddo. Bring it on!”

“I’ll let both of you battle together against me, you lovers. You’ll see I’m hot stuff!”

Teal and Ray blushed slightly, but they assumed battle position, in the edge of the hill, while Naze stood in front of the tree house. The sun was already on full bright, albeit it was still early. The long-silent village was about to experience some action like it never had for long years.

“Here I come!” Naze launched his two Poké Balls.

“We’re not going to lose!” Ray threw his…

“It’s been long since I had a battle. Hopefully I haven’t lost my touch. Go!” And Teal threw hers. The four Poké Balls opened, releasing a burst of white energy, which slowly took form. Naze’s Pokémon materialized first. One was a very weird Pokémon. It had the shape of a crescent moon, and its mouth was a long nose-like protuberance. Two red eyes stood at both sides of its weird head. The Pokémon floated, sustained by an unseen force. It also spun in a weird pattern. It was the rare Lunatone. His other Pokémon was a round one. It had four red tubes of sorts spouting out of its metallic shell. It also had two big eyes. The rest of its body was covered by its tough shell. It was a Forretress, and it also floated in mid-air. Both Pokémon looked very vicious and nasty: they were Shadow Pokémon, as most Pokémon in Orre.

Afterwards, Ray’s Pokémon took form. It was his most loved Pokémon, though he was a Shadow Pokémon, like all his other Pokémon. A crimson color, a red flame on the tip of his tail, a duck-like face, and a highly developed brain topped with two flame-esque crests. The Pokémon was quite big, and stood on two legs. His arms were kind of long, and bestowed a few sharp claws. He was a Magmar. The Flame Pokémon looked unbearably vicious and eager to battle.

Teal’s Pokémon materialized last. It was very small. The Pokémon had a green body, and a skirt formed by petals of yellow and green petals. It had small hands and two red flowers on both sides of its head’s top. Its eyes were small, but they formed an angry expression. Such awe-inspiring eyes were a very unusual trait in the usually cute and cheerful Bellossom. But Shadow Pokémon were known for such nasty and careless tendencies…

“How nice… but anyway. We better get this over with. Lunatone, use Shadow Wave. You, Forretress, use Shadow Crush on Magmar!

Teal then ordered a move to her Bellossom: “Use Magical Leaf on Lunatone.”

Ray was the last one, as he ordered a move to his Magmar: “Flamethrower on Forretress now!” The Pokémon all moved and performed their attacks. Magmar was the fastest one, and he turned to Forretress, whom was charging dark energy within itself. Magmar then blew a lot of fire off his mouth, which went straight towards Forretress. The Armor Pokémon, though good at the defense, was extremely weak to Fire attacks. The flames were reckless and fast, scorching Forretress at contact. The Pokémon stopped floating and dropped to the floor. Everyone felt a small tremor, as the heavy Pokémon fell down, fainted.

“You lucky *******…” Naze called his Forretress back to its Poké Ball. As he did it, Lunatone was performing its attack. A black aura surrounded it, and then, a small burst of black energy spouted out of its body. The burst floated slowly towards Bellossom and Magmar. The Flame Pokémon was agile, and avoided it with ease. Bellossom didn’t run with the same luck, though: it was hit by the black blob, which then caused some sort of disturbance in the Flower Pokémon’s body. That damaged Bellossom, but it just retaliated a bit. The small Pokémon got up, still showing its angry face, and then screamed loudly. As Bellossom did that, its petals and flowers started to move and spin around its own body. Afterwards, a round of shinny, colorful leaves appeared above Bellossom’s body. It then used its powers to hurl them at Lunatone. The leaves went straight, and they left a beautiful sparkle through their path. The colorful leaves hit Lunatone right on its eyes, and they caused a fair amount of damage, as the Moon Pokémon almost lost balance.

Teal and Ray were winning, but Naze wasn’t eager to give up. “Now use Psychic on Magmar!”

Ray just smirked. “It’s over, Naze. Use Shadow Break!”

Teal went on with Ray and said: “Use Magical Leaf again, Bellossom.” Both Pokémon attacked recklessly. Bellossom’s petals and flowers spun again, and then the colorful leaves appeared again. It hurled them towards the Moon Pokémon, while Magmar ran straight at Lunatone, shrouded in a black aura. The leaves and Magmar collided with Lunatone at the same time. It didn’t even have a chance to focus its mind and attack Magmar. As Lunatone fell down because of Magmar’s overwhelming attack, the Flame Pokémon stood near it, apparently ready to give out another attack. Lunatone had fainted already, though.

“No way!” Naze called Lunatone back, as he muttered and grunted. He couldn’t believe he had lost.

“That was easy…” Said Ray as he called his Magmar back. Teal just nodded, and returned her Bellossom to its Poké Ball.

“I just underestimated you. I expected a Class ‘A’ Snagger to be at least that tough. You’re way too strong for an Apprentice Soldier, though…”

“I just remain an apprentice for sheer unreliability…” Ray then laughed softly. As he stopped, he went directly to Naze: “Now, tell us where to go next.”

“You think I’d tell you that? Ha!” Naze then laughed, but stopped soon. He seemed eager to talk, though. “Go down, if you dare. I doubt you’ll be able to stand against my comrades. They’re way better than me.” Naze grunted, and then ran to the right. He was going down even further.

“Let’s follow him.” Said Teal, and both went on behind the young Soldier. They crossed a small inclination that went on to a small patch of land. They then noticed Naze going down below, near a bridge. Teal and Ray tried to catch him, but as they reached the mount, they were stopped by another of Dakim’s Soldiers. This one was a girl. She looked a bit older, but not as old as Teal or Ray. Her hair was long and orange. She also had an orange-painted mouth. Her uniform was the same as that of Naze and the others: white outfit, red marks on the helmet, and red scarf. She blocked another landslide near the bridge, as soon as she spotted Ray and Teal. “I’m not letting you pass.”

Ray wasn’t stopped by her claim, and went near the girl, almost to the point of pushing her aside, while saying: “Then don’t let us. I bet you want to battle…”

“Bull’s-eye! I’ll battle you, and forget about seeing Dakim. I’ll be enough for both of you.” She then started to laugh loudly.

Teal busted in as the girl laughed: “Want to battle after you saw how we defeated Naze? Fine then…”

“He’s new. No one expected him to even stand against you. But I’m another thing. My name is Flaria, of Dakim’s Body. Yep, that’s our code name among Soldiers.” She then giggled and got two Poké Balls out of her belt. “You ready?”

“Yes. Go, Marowak!” Ray threw his Poké Ball, which materialized into a quite impressive Pokémon. It had a brown body, long tail, and strong legs and arms. It held a long bone on one of its hands, and a white skull covered its head. Its eyes were piercing and angry. “Marow!” it shrieked as it fitted the sight on Flaria.

“Our turn, Electabuzz! Teal called her Pokémon as the Poké Ball opened. It revealed a yellow Pokémon with many black thunder-like patterns going through its body. It had long, strong arms and two weird protuberances on its head. It had a small tail too. The Pokémon looked at Flaria with anger, identifying her as the enemy. It screamed “Errebb!” while looking at the orange-haired girl.

“Pretty impressive. Let’s see if they’re as powerful as they look. Go, Houndour and Camerupt!” Flaria threw her two Poké Balls, and they unleashed the burst of white energy that slowly took the form of a Pokémon. One of them was a sleek, black one, similar to a dog with bone-like things on its back, and a white skull in its forehead. It bestowed a fierce appearance, which was even more fearsome for the Shadow Pokémon trait. The other was a massive Pokémon with a red body and two volcanoes hanging on its back. It had a somewhat dumb face, and big teeth. The Pokémon stood dangerously close to a small pond below the bridge, as they were too big to fit in the patch of land above, where Ray and Teal stood.

“Jump and hit Camerupt with Bonemerang, Marowak.” Shouted Ray, while Teal called: “You jump too, Electabuzz, and then use Brick Break on Camerupt.” Every Pokémon did as told. Marowak and Electabuzz jumped high, while a faint green barrier surrounded Houndour. Camerupt, whom was below the jumping Pokémon, stood on its hind legs, and then crushed the ground with its front legs. The impact generated waves throughout the ground, which then broke into a big fissure in the entire pitch of land. Unfortunately, it didn’t hit any Pokémon, because they were jumping or protecting themselves. Houndour’s green barrier protected it from the powerful blow. As the earth shake ended, Marowak grabbed its bone and threw it with unbearable power at Camerupt. It was hit directly in the head, and bounced back. In the confusion, it didn’t notice that the bone came back and stroke in the back of its head. The strokes were very hard, as Camerupt moved from side to side, a bit dizzy and weakened. And for Camerupt’s disgrace, it wasn’t over: Electabuzz fell like an arrow down its neck, and attacked with its arms positioned in a way that formed the shape of a cross. Camerupt screamed out of pain, and walked back a few steps, almost to the point of slipping down the small pound behind it. The Camel Pokémon was very strong, though: it still stood up, and was ready to keep it going. As soon as all the attacks ended, the green barrier that protected Houndour faded away.

“You’re evil. Use Hidden Power on Marowak, Houndour! Camerupt, use Shadow Rush on Electabuzz!” Electabuzz and Marowak were too close of Camerupt, and then, the giant Pokémon performed a tackle against Electabuzz, while surrounded by the black aura. The attack also reached Marowak, but it wasn’t affect much by it. Ray’s and Teal’s Pokémon flew back a few inches, still surprised. Houndour then performed its attack: its body shone faintly, and then, 10 shinny balls of energy spouted out of its body. The energy balls flew directly at Marowak, whom didn’t manage to avoid them, and was hit thoroughly by them. Though it stood up, it seemed as if the Bone Pokémon had been severely damaged.

“Are you OK, Marowak?” Ray asked. Marowak just got up reluctantly, and fit his sight on Houndour, as if Ray hadn’t said anything. “Fine then… use Bonemerang on Houndour, quickly.” Marowak followed suit, and surprised the Hound Pokémon by launching his hard bone wit his strong arm. The bone flew straight at Houndour’s head, and the Dark Pokémon was cast away by the force of the impact. The attack was actually too strong, since Houndour didn’t get up at all after the first blow. The bone flew back to Marowak, whom grabbed it skillfully.

“Houndour!” Flaria screamed. Teal took advantage of the girl’s concern, and called on her Electabuzz: “Use Ice Punch on Camerupt!” The Lightning Pokémon was very fast, and jumped off in a glimpse. Camerupt wasn’t well-aware of its surroundings as it just had tackled both of its opponents. Electabuzz’s right fist then glowed in a faint blue light. The Lightning Pokémon went a short distance through mid air, and then connected its blue fist right on the Camel Pokémon’s cheek. The impact was cold and powerful. Camerupt walked back again out of the shock, and this time, it fell down in the small pond. The water doused off any energy it had left, making it faint.

Flaria fell down her knees, looking at her fainted Pokémon. She got up shortly after. “You’re very good… I must admit it. Come back, both of you.” Flaria got two Poké Balls out, and a red beam spouted out of them. They touched Flaria’s Pokémon, and just like that, the creatures turned completely red and entered a state of energy. In this estate, they were sucked back inside the storage device. Teal and Ray did the same with their Pokémon, proud of their recent victory.

“But don’t think you’ve won. You still have 3 more battles ahead. Good luck.” Flaria left as soon as she finished with those words. She went directly into the cave beyond the pond. It was a very mysterious place, engulfed in darkness from Ray’s perspective. There was another pathway below the bridge, which went through the pound and into the cave. “Well… it seems that cave is our next target.” Teal just nodded at Ray’s assumption, and the duo went through the green patch of land. They crossed the pond, and got inside the cave.

They couldn’t see very well, though the few things they could witness were illuminated by faint bulbs of light. It was a weird spectacle: the cave was almost intact, but the mark of people was evident. The inside of the cave was all noisy, which was caused by a river inside the cave. This river was one of many around the village. The rocks were filled with musk and small grass. “Let’s go on.”

They hadn’t even taken the first few steps when they were stopped by a third Soldier. This one was considerably tall, yet a bit fat too. “Your feat ends here!” The deep voice revealed a guy was beneath the white helmet. Teal and Ray backed up, but were ready to battle. “I’m Roke. Get ready.” Roke got out 2 Poké Balls, and threw them off to the floor of the cave. The Pokémon turned out to be of the Rock Type: one was formed of gravel, and had a seemingly round shape. It had four arms and stood in two small feet. It bestowed two menacing eyes, as it looked evilly at Ray. The other was a huge and long Pokémon. Made entirely of rocks, and with a sharp head that had a long horn, the Pokémon roared strongly as it looked down upon the enemies. Graveler and Onix were ready to take everything on.

“Go, Starmie!” Ray threw his Poké Ball, and it opened in the air. Flying out of it, a star-shaped Pokémon formed. It was purple and had a beautiful, shinny gem incrusted in the middle of its body. One part of its body was constantly spinning, while it stood up with the other part. Teal got out a Poké Ball as she looked at Ray’s Starmie: “Time to come out again, Bellossom.” Teal’s Poké Ball opened in the air, and it released the small Grass Pokémon again. Bellossom looked angrily at Roke’s two Pokémon, unable to contain her battling desire.

“Attack, Graveler and Onix. Shadow Break!” Said Roke, as the Pokémon were overridden by black energy. Ray and Teal commanded their Pokémon too: “Use Bubble Beam against Graveler!”; “Magical Leaf at Onix now, Bellossom.” The Rock Pokémon were too slow for Ray’s Starmie, and the Star Pokémon spun faster. It then released a powerful burst of countless bubbles out of its gem. The bubbles flew in a straight trajectory, as if condensed in a powerful beam. The attack hit Graveler directly, as it was increasing the darkness within. The impact sent it flying back a few inches, but it was enough to weaken it completely. The bubbles incrusted in the Rock Pokémon’s body, and caused even more damage. Graveler fell down shortly after, fainted.

“Impressive… I now call Armaldo.” Roke got out another Poké Ball, and sent out a very rare Pokémon. It was blue and silver, and resembled a big, resistant armor. It had two long eyes spouting off the top of its head and a long tail. White-and-red feathers adorned part of its body. As the Pokémon formed, Teal’s Bellossom and Roke’s Onix were attacking each other. Bellossom received a direct blow with Onix’s massive body. The Flower Pokémon was affected badly by the enveloping darkness. Even so, Bellossom managed to perform her attack, releasing a bunch of shiny, beautiful leaves, which were sent straight at Onix.

“That won’t work. Use Dig, Onix! And you attack Starmie with Shadow Fist, Armaldo!” The giant Pokémon rose above everyone, and for a moment, it stood as even bigger than before. It then crashed down on the ground and went underground. Teal just smirked as she saw the glittering leaves going through the hole Onix had just dug. On the other side, Armaldo focused a huge amount of dark energy into its right fist. It then stretched the claw enough to hit Starmie right in the sparkling gem. The Star Pokémon flew away and crashed in the cave’s roof. It then fell down, and it seemed as if it hadn’t made it.

“Starmie!” Cried Ray. Starmie got up slowly, but it still showed enough energy to keep it going. “Try a Hydro Pump now.” Starmie rose up a few inches above the wet floor of the grotto, and then, it pointed the top tip of its star shape body at Armaldo. Starmie then blew off a powerful and pressurized blast of water. As powerful as a water pump, the swirling blast hit Armaldo directly, and the Armor Pokémon was blown away to fall into the river behind it. Armaldo was badly weakened by Starmie’s attack, and even more so after falling right into the river.

As if that wasn’t enough, a huge outrage shook the ground below the Trainers: “GRUOOWW!” It seemed that Onix was hit by the Magical Leaf attack, since they had followed the Pokémon down below ground. Roke was stunned, while he was looking at his fallen Pokémon. “Get up, Armaldo.” He said. The Rock Pokémon got up, but it was severely weakened after Starmie’s blow. “Finish Armaldo with Psychic, Starmie.” Said Ray. In a swift move, Starmie was surrounded by a white aura. It then generated a white ball of energy in front of its gem. The sphere was then hurled directly at Armaldo, with the mind power of Starmie. The ball stroke easily, as Armaldo was just getting up. The blow toppled it down, and made it faint with a big splash of water on the river. As soon as that, Onix rose up from the ground, roaring with a huge noise. However, it didn’t last long and fell down. The attack was too much for it, and fainted instantly.

“How? How could I lose?” Roke was so ashamed he just called back his Pokémon and walked on, without even looking back. Ray and Teal tried to follow him, knowing that’d take them to Dakim. However, as they went on, they found themselves into a dark labyrinth of countless doors inside the very cave. Looking around, they knew it wouldn’t be easy to find Dakim.

“What should we do now?” Ray asked. They had lost Roke already, and didn’t know where to go now.

“I guess our only alternative is to look in every door…” And as Teal suggested, the duo went on and started opening doors. They looked at one… nothing. They went to the nearest one… nothing inside. That went on for about 10 doors made of rusty and old metal. The cave was very big, and it was filled with doors all over, much like the barracks in the Cipher’s Underground Headquarters.

“This is endless…” Said Teal in delusion.

“We must keep on going… we’re close. Don’t give up now, Teal.”

“OK…” And they kept on opening doors. When they were about halfway the cave, and near the river, a door revealed a room made of stalactites and stalagmites. It seemed empty, though.

“Nothing here…” Muttered Ray and he pushed the door. Teal stopped the door from closing, though.

“What’s this, Teal? There’s nothing here.” Teal denied Ray’s assumption, and then opened the door completely. She got a lantern out of her backpack, and turned it on. Ray was impressed as he saw the room. The stalactites and stalagmites all over the room sparkled, as if made of precious minerals. But that wasn’t anything when they noticed the presence of someone inside: it was another white-dressed Soldier. The fourth member of Dakim’s Body, they thought. The Soldier got up, swinging its long, brown hair around. “Good of you to come.” The girl then let out a faint giggle. She was about the same height as Ray and Teal. Her hair was long and abundant, like an endless waterfall. She had the lips painted in a deep red color, and a horn protruding above her helmet.

“Who are you?” Ray asked, though he pretty much knew the answer. The girl smirked and went on: “I’m Terra, of Dakim’s Body. I must say you are strong. However, you’re up against me. My skill is like the land, whose peaceful nature encases a devastating power. I find it hard to believe… two former recruits are now against us. And to make it worse, you’re not the average apprentice. You wouldn’t be here if you were…” Terra looked at Ray while she said this, or at least that could be inferred. “But well… I shall try my best to stop you in whatever you want to achieve. My Master has full trust on my skills, and has raised me since I was a child. I shall show you now…” Terra grabbed 2 Poké Balls from her belt, and launched them without saying anything. The Balls opened, and the burst of energy slowly formed another pair of Pokémon. One was a sleek-looking one. It had a brown body, and countless spikes on its back. It bestowed very long and sharp claws in both paws, and had two deep, black eyes. The other was some sort of cocoon, but was apparently made by a tougher hide. The Pokémon had a blue color, and two evil eyes focused in Teal and Ray. Both were Ground Pokémon: Sandslash and Pupitar.

“Our turn!” Shouted both friends, and they threw their Poké Balls. They opened and revealed another couple of Pokémon. Teal’s choice was her pink and cuddly Wigglytuff. She was the Pokémon Teal used to get herself and Ray out of the Headquarters yesterday. Ray’s Pokémon was a human-like one. It had a gray body, and long extremities. Its head was topped by some sort of pink hat, and it also had a pink pattern on its legs, which looked like pants. Yellow dots adorned the outfit, or whatever it could be. Medicham looked very tranquil and thoughtful, though it also had an insatiable battling desire.

“Pretty good indeed. But it’s not about having impressive Pokémon. It’s about knowing how to use them. Let’s get it on. Use Slash against Wigglytuff, Sandslash. Use Crunch against Medicham, Pupitar.” Teal commanded her Wigglytuff right away: “Use Water Pulse in Pupitar.” Ray came up next: “Hi Jump Kick against Pupitar!” The Pokémon attacked inside that room filled with spike formations. A bit cluttered and likely to be hurt, Ray then realized Terra’s strategy: the Pokémon would get hurt easily if they fell from high above or if they jumped too high. Regretfully, it was too late. Medicham jumped very high, and what Ray expected happened: Shadow Pokémon weren’t very well aware of the battle terrain, and always focused their efforts and attention on the opposing Pokémon. This caused Medicham to crash on the pointy stalactites above, and he fell down like an arrow. Medicham then collided with the stalagmites below, and was badly hurt just by that. Pupitar took advantage of his opponent’s mistake, and jumped constantly until it managed to be near Medicham. Pupitar then opened a mouth-like section in its shell, and bitted Medicham with those strong and rocky spikes. Medicham screamed out of sheer pain, but that shriek was his last stand. He stood in the stalagmites, motionless. Medicham had fainted.

“Damn. Come back, Medicham.” Ray got his Poké Ball out, and by pointing it at Medicham, the red beam took the Pokémon back inside the sphere. Pupitar was happy for the victory, but for that, it was hit by surprise: Wigglytuff let out a soft cry, and she focused power in her mind. Shortly after, she let out a round wave of water. The wave flew straight at Pupitar whom was hit in the back, and cast away very fast. Pupitar crashed directly with a stalagmite, and didn’t get up afterwards. Sandslash then approached Wigglytuff very fast, and slashed her with its big and sharp claws. Wigglytuff was damaged and flew back a few inches. She got up, though. In the meantime, Ray got out another Poké Ball, and threw it away: “Go, Gengar.” The Poké Ball released the same Ghost Pokémon that had cast away the Soldiers that ambushed Ray and Teal before. With a mean sight and a sarcastic grin, Gengar was a good choice since he was floating.

“You’re good. Come back, Pupitar. I now call my next Pokémon: Vibrava. Go.” Terra called back her Pupitar, and also sent out another Pokémon. This one was similar to a dragonfly, and stood in four legs. It had big, green eyes, and had two emerald wings. Vibrava looked at its surroundings, and flew calmly above the stalagmites. Teal commanded her move first this time: “Ice Beam on Sandslash!” Terra then called: “Attack Gengar with Dragon Breath, Vibrava. Use Slash on Wigglytuff again, Sandslash.” Ray came out last and said: “Ice Punch on Vibrava.” The Pokémon then performed their attacks. Vibraba was about to blow out a big amount of breath, but Gengar was too fast for it: he floated towards Vibrava, and with his right fist sparkling with a blue light, he connected a cold blow against it. The attack was very strong, considering Gengar’s abilities and Vibrava’s intolerance to cold. Though badly weakened, and even after colliding with the stalagmites in the floor, Vibrava got up, but was too weak to attack.

On the other side, Sandslash was connecting another powerful slash at the poor Pink Pokémon. Wigglytuff backed up, and she almost fainted. But she got up, much to Sandslash’s dismay, performing her attack all of a sudden: Wigglytuff blew off a cold beam formed of condensed cold air, and it hit Sandslash directly. The Pokémon flew off and was hurt by the stalactites above the room. As Sandslash fell right into the stalagmites below, it barely stood up afterwards, with shaky legs and dizzy moves. Teal commanded fast: “Finish Vibrava with Shadow Sphere, Wigglytuff.” And Ray did so: “Defeat Sandslash with Shadow Ball, Gengar!” The Pokémon were fast and took advantage of Terra’s team weariness. Wigglytuff produced a small, dark sphere in front of her. Much like a small black hole, the ball was hurled at Vibrava. This minuscule sphere flew very fast at the Vivration Pokémon, and it didn’t have a chance to avoid it. After the hit, Vibrava was further damaged by a dark energy deposited on its body by the sphere, and it fainted shortly after. The floating Ghost Pokémon then proceeded to generate another dark sphere, but this one was considerably bigger. Gengar hurled it at Sandslash very fast, and the collision created a small explosion. Sandslash flew right near Terra’s feet, and didn’t get up at all.

Terra grunted, and then called back her Pokémon with the red beam of her Poké Balls. “Most excellent… I can’t believe how strong you are. Go on. Dakim is close.” Ray then shouted: “Give us a hint! We’re completely lost here. We just found you by pure fluke!” Terra just shook her head, but then said: “Go to the far end. The answer shall appear upon you by itself. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” Terra walked through the ominous stalagmites, and then went though Teal and Ray, without even looking back. Teal was about to follow her, but she noticed she went to the cave entrance’s direction.

“Well… it seems our objective is further ahead. We’re almost there.” Ray said, and then both went out of Terra’s room to get into the cave’s main corridor again. They went through many doors, but they knew they had to look for the last door. They walked on, following the river, which went way up throughout the cave. The darkness and wetness of the cave was somewhat frightening, but both friends kept on going. Running through the cave, they finally reached another exit. They went through it, and they found themselves in what seemed to be a forest shrine: It was a small bridge of ancient rocks which took to a round pedestal nearby. It all was below the shinny, tall forest trees. A peaceful pond surrounded the scenery. Teal and Ray were soothed by it…

“What a beautiful place, isn’t it Ray?” Ray just nodded, impressed by the beautiful nature and the pure feeling of the place. It seemed as if something had left the place, though: a smaller circle was in the middle of the pedestal, and it seemed as if something was removed from it. “I wonder what that could be.” Ray got closer to the pedestal, but then Teal stopped him. “We’ll have time for that later. I think Terra meant this place when she said ‘far end’. We shall go to the door before this exit. Dakim is probably there…” Though a bit reluctant, Ray nodded, and then led the return to the cave’s entrance. They found the last door almost immediately. This one wasn’t a mere steel door: it was of a red color, and had a few rubies incrusted on it. They knew Dakim was there…

“Let’s go.” But as they opened the door, they found out it wasn’t what they expected. Four beautiful torches lit the room, one in each corner. The room had a rocky floor, and was fairly big. Dakim wasn’t there, though. A very big and strong individual stood in the middle of the room. He was the same guy that challenged them back in the surface. Probably the first and most important member of Dakim’s Body. The guy turned around. As with most Soldiers, his helmet covered his eyes, but his mouth showed a smile of satisfaction and surprise. His uniform was the same as the other Soldiers of Dakim, but his helmet bestowed two long horns on both sides.

“You’re last. Where’s Dakim?” Ray asked. He didn’t know why he was somewhat frightened by the giant guy’s aura, though. Crossing his arms, the big guy answered: “You won’t know you ‘till you beat me. I doubt you will, though. I must say I’m impressed. I never expected you to get past Roke, actually…”

“We’re better than that. But if we have to take you on too… then so be it.” Ray’s comment made the Soldier laugh hard. “I’m not the average Soldier. I’m the most loyal and the closest man of Dakim. My name is Kimu. You might have lucked out against my partners, but I’m different. Dakim’s been with me since I was born. I won’t let him down. Ever…” Teal then noticed a necklace on Kimu’s neck: it was a bit short, but Kimu grabbed it as he called on Dakim’s name. It had a ruby on the end. “This ruby is Dakim’s most treasured gem. It was the last memory of his family. And he gave it to me… I’m like a son to him.” And then, Kimu made something neither Ray nor Teal expected: he placed his hands on the helmet, and removed it. What the helmet concealed was just heartbreaking: Kimu was exactly like Dakim. He had a hard faction, red hair styled in upward spikes, and red marks on his face.

“Are you sure you aren’t actually Dakim’s son?” Teal Asked. Kimu just denied it with the head. “I’m not… Dakim never married. But as far as I’m concerned, he’s my father. And that’s why I’ll beat you down: for Dakim’s honor. I just took my helmet off because I respect you, and because it’d be a fault from my part to not show my face to my strongest opponents so far. For mere beginners, you’ve got guts. Opposing the biggest power in Orre without thinking twice. Not even those so-called peacemakers like Duking or Silva had so many courage. Even so, I doubt you’ve got what it takes. I shall show you with this battle. I respect my partners, but they still have a long way to go. But whatever… none of your business.” Kimu grabbed two Poké Balls from his belt, and looked defiantly at Teal and Ray: “Whenever you want…”

Teal and Ray were impressed by Kimu’s loyalty. There were no doubts in Ray’s mind now: Dakim was more than a mere Admin. He had formed a cult on his own. He also noticed how concerned and caring all of Dakim’s Body Soldiers were about their Pokémon, and how they weren’t big-heads. Even so, he had to battle Kimu now, and though neither he nor Teal wanted to admit it, they were considerably tired now. They had to go on, though: no one said it’d be a walk in the park. Inside the luxurious room, they got out their Poké Balls, eager to battle against Kimu. “You’re on, Kimu!” Screamed both friends, and the Poké Balls were launched…

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I hope you enjoy the battles in this chapter. A major event is approaching, and so is a deep secret...

Replies are greatly appreciated. Until next time! :)

Sike Saner

11th October 2005, 8:39 PM

Quite enjoyable. The battles feel very true to the style of the games in which this story has its basis. I'm going to give you points for the use of Armaldo, Lunatone, and especially Magmar, three Pokémon which I am always glad to see. And I automatically like Kimu. ^_^ Cool guy, and someone whom I look forward to seeing some more of.

I'm going to continue to commend you for doing Dakim justice. I could end up becoming a pretty serious fan of his by reading things like this (although Miror B. will probably still always be my favorite ;) ).

nightmare120

11th October 2005, 8:55 PM

this story is awsome keep up the good work

Drayano

18th October 2005, 7:13 PM

Finally read Chapter 4. ._.

Looking good like always. It was longer, and Kimu seems like a good character. I'm really glad of the way you portrayed Dakim. I also enjoyed how Ray popped out with a Starmie; Starmie's one of my favourites.

Anyway, 3 mistakes this time.

“Use Water Pulse in Pupitar.”

That makes no sense. It should be "on".

Pupitar then opened a mouth-like section in its shell, and bitted Medicham with those strong and rocky spikes.

Should be "bit".

Vibraba was about to blow out a big amount of breath, but Gengar was too fast for it:

"Vibrava". I can see how you made that mistake though, Vibrava is really hard to spell for me.

You've inspired me to write my own Cipher fic now. And I have an idea...

umbreon_lover

23rd October 2005, 12:52 AM

Yay!!!!! confermation that Rui's retarded!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Are their shadow pokemon opening the doors to their hearts?

Orion-Sama

23rd October 2005, 8:08 PM

Great. I got a nice response again. Thanks as always!

It's great you enjoyed the Battles, Sike Saner. It's also cool to see you're also a Magmar fan. He's been a favorite of mine for a long time too. I'ts also great you liked Kimu. He'll be somewhat important later on. And well, I also like this part a lot. In the next chapters, you'll see more about Dakim. And don't worry: Miror B. isn't THAT far. :D I hope you can keep on reading!

Thanks for replying, Dray. I thought you had given it up, hehe. As I said, Kimu will be important throughout the story. I'm glad you also like my way of seeing Dakim. I did make him very deep. Heck, I did that with EVERY character, since Nintendo just sucks at it. Thanks for pointing out the mistakes. I still have many problems with prepositions, and was confused about the bite verb. Oh well... and I'm just honored. I can't believe I inspired you! This is such a honor. Thanks a lot for the support, and for linking to my Fic in your Sig. You don't know how much I appreciate it. Thanks a lot! I hope you keep on reading. :)

Thanks for the reply, umbreon_lover. I wouldn't say Rui is retarded. She's just demented due to the loss of her most loved persons. And well... as was said in the Prologue, there have been major advances in the Shadow Pokémon production. I can't say much, since that'd spoil a VERY late part of the Fic, but in few chapters you'll see that trying to open their hearts is in vain... I hope you can keep on reading. :)

Thanks to you too, nightmare120. I'm glad that you like my story. I'd like you could tell me more next time, though. The support is still appreciated, though. :)

Well people, here's chapter 5. This one holds very hard battles, and other things. As a warning, this chapter has minor blood and violence. Not much... I'm not much graphical in this regard. :)

Either way, here it is...

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Chapter 5: Dakim’s Blaze (Part 1).

With a burst of light, the four Poké Balls opened in the air, and four Shadow Pokémon popped out, taking form as the energy condensed. Teal sent out her Jynx, whom had a mean sight as she looked at Kimu’s Pokémon. Ray sent out a Pokémon that was similar to a wolf. It had a yellow mane going upwards, a blue body with several yellow fur all over, and very sharp teeth. It was a tough Manectric. Kimu’s Pokémon were revealed to be Metang and Lairon. The first one was a weird creature made of steel with a round shape as its body, and of a blue color. It had 2 arms that ended in some sort of claws, and it floated in mid-air while looking at its opponents with two red eyes. Lairon was a four-legged Pokémon with a metallic hide, a big helmet-like head, and two fierce eyes. It also bestowed many spikes throughout the hide.

“Go, my partners. Beat those who oppose us. Meteor Mash against Jynx, Metang. Double-Edge against Manectric, Lairon.” The Pokémon roared and launched on to attack. Teal didn’t stay shut, though: “Water Pulse against Lairon, Jynx!” The Humanshape Pokémon was considerably fast, and attacked in a glimpse by concentrating power on her purple hands. She then released a round wave of water energy at Lairon, whom was ramming at Ray’s Pokémon. The attack went swiftly through the battlefield, and struck Lairon all of a sudden. The Iron Pokémon was stopped in its tracks while it shook off the small water drops formed by the waves. It was too soon to celebrate, though: Metang floated fast towards Jynx and as it focused power in the right claw, it punched Teal’s Pokémon with an overwhelmingly strong mash that was strengthened by seemingly cosmic energy. Jynx was thrown away and collided harshly with the room’s floor. She barely stood up, and didn’t seem to have much energy left. “Thunderbolt against Metang now!” Manectric attacked last, and launched a powerful burst of blue electricity at the Steel Pokémon. The shocking attack struck the target accurately, and Metang was electrocuted. It lost balance and almost fell, but Metang managed to sustain itself in midair.

Kimu was just watching his Pokémon, but he was somewhat impressed. His deep, black eyes showed a profound happiness. It was as if he saw something in Ray and Teal. “Fine, fine. I was right when I assumed you’d be worthy opponents. But let’s see if you really can control my power. Metang, use Protect! Lairon, use Shadow Half!” As Kimu said that, Teal and Ray shook slightly: they knew what that Shadow attack did, and they knew it’d weaken their Pokémon a lot. “Protect now, Manectric!” Ray shouted. It seemed as if Teal didn’t have a way to protect her Jynx, which was very weak already: “There’s no other choice, Jynx. Use Water Pulse on Lairon again.” Jynx concentrated energy on her hands again, and then released the round waves of water that flew straight at Lairon. The Iron Pokémon was hit, and almost fell down, but it stood up with an outstanding amount of effort. In the meantime, a round green barrier protected both Ray’s Manectric and Kimu’s Metang. Lairon stood up, and performed its attack: a weird electric surge filled its body. It wasn’t a normal discharge, though: it was made of purple and black shocks. A deep cry followed, and then Lairon released a powerful jolt of black energy, which filled the entire place. It even shocked both Ray and Teal in a sudden, swift lightning that hit exactly on their shoulders. Both friends let out a shallow scream as the black energy caused a bleeding burn in their shoulders.

“That’s enough, Lairon!” Kimu shouted. Lairon stopped the attack, but the harm had been done: Jynx was struck by the jolt, which weakened her even further. Lairon had been damaged too: the overflow of dark energy had an effect on its user. Manectric and Metang were protected by the green barrier, and didn’t suffer in any way. Teal and Ray stood on the other side of the battlefield, with burning marks on their shoulders. They tried to withstand the excruciating pain, even if it was completely unbearable. “I’m sorry. Lairon is unable to contain himself at times…” Kimu’s voice sounded concerned, but defiant at the same time. Ray just shook his head: “Agh… let’s keep it going. Thunderbolt on Lairon!” Kimu just smirked at Ray’s remark, giving back a glance of respect and impression toward his opponents. “You’ve got spirit. Go on, Metang. Shadow Break on Manectric. Iron Tail on Jynx, Lairon.” Teal, whose shoulders had a similar deep burn, looked faintly at her Jynx, whom was wheezing out of tiredness. She was almost gone, but had a last attack… or at least she hoped so: “One last Water Pulse against Metang, Jynx!” Fortunately, both Ray’s and Teal’s Pokémon were considerably fast, which allowed them to attack before their opponents. Jynx concentrated and created a new round of water waves, which then flew at Metang, whom had just started to gather shadow energy within itself, ready for a powerful attack. The round waves flew fast and struck on target easily. Metang was cast away, and collided roughly with the floor. It tried to get back into midair, but to no avail. It gave up shortly after, fainting on the floor. Lairon wasn’t much lucky either: Manectric’s powerful jolt flew through the arena in a fast glimpse, and hit Lairon all of a sudden. He was already weakened from deep inside because of his own Shadow Half, and couldn’t hold on anymore. Both Pokémon fainted almost at the same time…

Kimu got out the two Poké Balls, and called his Pokémon back. “Well done, partners. That goes for both of you too. I never thought I would have to use my best Pokémon against you. And even with those burns on your shoulders, you still hold your own. But well… it’s over. Go, Quagsire! Go, Arcanine!” Kimu got out two Poké Balls and threw them at the arena’s center. They opened in a burst of light and revealed two new Pokémon as the energy took form. Arcanine was a big dog-like creature. Teal thought it looked a lot like Entei. It was very big, with four strong paws and had a red body with a few black stripes all over it. It had a majestic, pale yellow fur all over its body, and bestowed two menacing black eyes. The Pokémon roared as it saw the opposing Trainers: “Gwroooarr!” The other Pokémon was a blue one. It had a funny face, and its body seemed somewhat slimy. It had a semi-long tail and two palmed hands and feet. A few scales went through its tail and back. The Pokémon stood quietly in one spot, while still looking around with two small, yet angry eyes.

“Go, Arcanine. Shadow Wave. And finish off Manectric with Mud Shot, Quagsire!” Both Pokémon were surprising, and the wounds on both Ray’s and Teal’s shoulders were burning deeply, making it harder to think properly and keep the focus on the battle. Before they could say their orders, Arcanine had just released a small burst of shadow energy; similar to the one Naze’s Lunatone had performed way back in the surface. The burst flew slowly at both Pokémon, but Jynx was too tired to avoid it. Manectric managed to avoid it for a while, but the burst followed the Lightning Pokémon wherever it went. Shadow Pokémon were known to be able to act by themselves when in battle, and then Manectric shot off a Thundershock attack. The small lightning went through the black burst and destroyed it. On the other hand, Jynx had been hit by the attack already. Even though the attack was somewhat weak, she was completely tired and dropped down, her red dress and blonde hair falling in a dazzling way. Manectric didn’t run with much luck either: as he was busy avoiding the Shadow Wave, he couldn’t anticipate Quagsire’s attack: the blue Pokémon ducked, and then spitted a bunch of mud out of its mouth. The shot flew straight at Manectric, and hit him in the side accurately. It was a very strong attack, and it was enough to make Manectric faint as he crashed with one of the walls, still afflicted by the powerful mud blow.

Teal and Ray called back their fainted Pokémon, with their right arm shaking slowly due to the deep burns. It was almost unbearable. But they had to go on. They had to meet Dakim. Ray got out another Poké Ball with his shaking hand, and threw it weakly at the battlefield. It flew a very short distance, and Ray couldn’t even call his Pokémon’s name. The white burst formed Marowak, the brown Pokémon whose head was covered with a skull. Teal threw her next poke Ball too, but she was even weaker than Ray. Even so, they had to stick through. There was no other choice. Teal’s Poké Ball revealed her tough Electabuzz. Both Pokémon were still in prime form, and had rested for quite a while. Both Trainers then proceeded to call their next orders, with a weak voice that was barely heard: “Attack Quagsire with Thunderbolt, Electabuzz.” “Bonemerang against Arcanine…” Kimu let out a chuckle, and then commanded: “Waterfall on Marowak, Quagsire. Body Slam against Electabuzz, Arcanine.”

Electabuzz was the fastest, and as electricity flown through his body, he soon launched a powerful blue jolt. The Thunderbolt flew directly at Quagsire, but as the attack touched it, nothing happened. Quagsire took the jolt as if it was noting, and just shook its body to make it wear off. It was a mistake from Teal’s part, but she was suffering too much from the burns to be fully focused in the battle. Arcanine then proceeded to run fast through the battlefield and tackle Electabuzz with an unbearable force. The attack had a huge impact, since Electabuzz flew through the arena and crashed with the wall behind Ray. Electabuzz fell slowly to the floor, and then jumped into the arena, assuming battle position. He was considerably damaged, though. In the meantime, Marowak threw off his big bone at Arcanine, and it flew like a boomerang. The bone it Arcanine in the mouth accurately, and while the Legendary Pokémon looked around, trying to spot what had hit it, the bone flew back and hit it in the face again. Arcanine let out a howl of sorrow, and then rubbed its right front paw on its mouth. It then turned back to Marowak, ready to attack. As Marowak grabbed the flying bone, Quagsire was executing its attack: the blue Pokémon lifted a body of water upwards. Much like an inverted waterfall, the attack raised above the arena, and almost up to the roof of the cave. Quagsire then moved its palmed hands down, and the body of up rising water went down at Marowak. It was too big to avoid, and the Ground Pokémon just looked at it as if stupefied. The body of water crashed down on Marowak, and the Pokémon flew upwards due to the strength of the impact. Severely damaged, Marowak fell down, but he had a small advantage in that position…

Ray was unable to focus on the battle properly. His arms burning badly, he tried to raise his sight, and saw Marowak up on the air, close to the cave’s roof, ready to give off an attack. He then said: “Headbutt on Arcanine.” But Marowak couldn’t hear him. Ray’s voice was too weak. Teal looked at her Electabuzz, and tried to shout a new attack, but she then dropped down to her knees. The pain was growing every second the wound wasn’t treated. Both friends felt as if their arms would fall off sooner or later. It was unbearable. Kimu looked at them, thinking that they’d give up now. He didn’t shout any orders, as he looked at both of his opponents. Even so, as the Pokémon were corrupted from deep within their hearts and their battling desire was insatiable, they kept on fighting even without their master’s orders. Electabuzz gathered shadow energy and tackled Quagsire. The blue Pokémon did the same while Electabuzz was close, and caused even more damage because of its physical strength. Marowak dropped down with his skull aiming at Arcanine, and he spun in a short trajectory. Both Pokémon collided and Arcanine almost dropped down. The impact was seriously tough, considering Marowak’s sleek body and hard skull. The Fire Pokémon didn’t drop, though. Instead, it launched a burst of flames out of its mouth, which then formed a weird shape, similar to a five-point star, yet not the same. The blazing shape flew a short way before hitting Marowak thoroughly. The Ground Pokémon flew back, with a few burns through his body, and then crashed with the floor.

Ray and Teal couldn’t take it anymore. The burns caused by Lairon’s Shadow attack were too deep and hurtful. Ray was about to give up, with his whole body shaking. In the meantime, the Pokémon kept on fighting, and Kimu stood where he was, with his arms crossed. The Pokémon exchanged attacks one after another. Most were Shadow attacks, though: it was in their nature. As the Pokémon wheezed out of sheer fatigue, Ray and Teal finally realized: their Pokémon were suffering, but wouldn’t give up. Teal got back up slowly, with her knees shaking. She wanted to help Electabuzz no matter what. Ray’s arms were burning, and it was affecting his whole body. Even so, he stood up. With a faint voice, he called on his Marowak: “Don’t give up…” Teal did the same with her Electabuzz: “Attack. Ice Punch…” Their voice was just too low, though. The Pokémon kept on fighting without hearing their Trainers. Kimu just looked at Ray and Teal trying to stay afoot. It wasn’t until both friends started moving when he got interested. Not to say impressed…

Teal walked towards Electabuzz. Her legs shaking out of pain, and her arms burning even more. Ray did the same, and started to approach Marowak. It was a huge risk, since the Pokémon were trading out attacks like no one’s business. Shadow energy flew all over the battlefield, while the torches on each corner were almost unable to keep their fire lit. The Trainers kept on walking. An attack almost hit them. They kept on going, though… nothing stopped them. “Electabuzz…” Said Teal, with her body about to drop down. “Marowak…” Said Ray, his arms turning completely black. The Pokémon kept on fighting against each other. For a while, they were attacking their own allies as Electabuzz launched a fiery punch at Marowak, and Arcanine tackled Quagsire with its whole body. “Electabuzz…” “Marowak…”

Kimu just watched the entire scene. He was still serious, but completely soothed from deep inside. “Those two… they have spirit. A spirit I have never seen in anyone. Even if their body is about to break apart out of sheer pain, they’re still going. They want to protect their Pokémon even if they don’t recognize them nor care for what they are. They’re gutsy, yet capable. I was wrong… they have what it takes. Maybe, just maybe, they can free Master Dakim. They can free us… it’s time to put my part in this.” He thought for himself. Kimu then remembered the times when Dakim taught him to care for his Pokémon: to trust them in everything, to hone them as lifelong partners, to go though everything as one, and to never give up. Dakim hadn’t forgotten his principles, though a major factor stopped him from turning his back on Cipher. Kimu thought that Ray and Teal were the answer. Kimu got out two Poké Balls… “Come back!” The red beam spouted out of the device, and took both Quagsire and Arcanine back inside it. In the battlefield just stood Marowak and Electabuzz, both wheezing and almost dropping down…

Ray and Teal then came back to senses, as Kimu went near them and helped them to stand up. Still weak and shaky, they called back their Pokémon, with their hands wobbling out of weakness. Ray then looked at Kimu: “It isn’t over yet…” The big guy looked at Ray: the eyes of the blue-haired guy showed full determination and desire. Kimu then walked away to the back of his room. A sound of moving things could be heard. He then came back with a bottle of a transparent liquid and a red scarf, exactly like the one he had around his neck. Kimu took off his gloves and then opened the bottle, sprinkled a few of the liquid on his hands, frothed his hands with each other and applied the dispersed liquid on Teal’s wounds. She let out a scream, but then felt the pain easing up big time. “Sorry miss. I forgot to tell you it’d hurt a bit.” Kimu then turned to Ray and did the same. The liquid went through Ray’s arms, and even if it was painful, he didn’t scream. The pain disappeared steadily, though. “I apologize for my Lairon’s sudden outburst. This shouldn’t have happened…” Kimu then took off his red scarf and ripped it in two. He then wrapped it around Teal’s wounds. The green-haired girl looked at him. “Why are you helping us now?” As Kimu finished, he turned to Ray, and just limited to mutter: “I have my reasons…” He ripped the scarf he had brought along the liquid in two and wrapped it on Ray’s wounds, as he did with Teal’s before. He tied the pieces of silk with force, but taking care of not making both of them even more hurt. “You’ve got spirit. Both of you. I’ve never confronted anyone like you. Even when the odds were against you and the wounds were too hard to overcome, you stood up, determined to help your Pokémon…”

“Why are you helping us, Kimu? You’re our enemy.” Ray was disconcerted. He couldn’t believe that the enemy was helping him. Teal looked at Kimu’s eyes, and she knew he was concerned about something. “You’ve proven to be worthy persons. In more ways than I expected. But anyway… I think that you’re ready to see Master Dakim. Follow me…” Kimu then got out of his room, and the friends followed him. The strong, tall guy went back, towards the cave’s entrance. Ray was clueless, and was expecting anything to happen. They went through the cave’s long corridor, which was filled with metal doors. Kimu then stopped at one door that looked like the oldest of them all: it was of a faint orange color due to oxidation. It looked very rusty, and was one of the closest to the entrance…

“We went through all the trouble to find Dakim all over the cave, and he was behind that rusty door all along?” Ray was ashamed, but Kimu just smirked as he waved his spiky red hair. “You go in… I have to join my comrades. Good luck.” Kimu then retreated and went through a small board inside the cave. He then went through the entrance and faded along the shiny light outside. Teal looked at Ray. She was impressed, yet a bit scared. “This is it… I hope we do stand a chance. If Kimu caused us so much trouble, I don’t want to see Dakim’s power.” Ray placed his hand on Teal’s shoulder. She blushed slightly, but was glad that Ray couldn’t see in the darkness of the cave. “We’ll do our best. Even so, I think we’re ready for him. Let’s get in.” Teal nodded, and Ray opened the door, which squeaked loudly.

“Who is it?” A deep, serious voice asked. A sole faint lamp above their heads lighted the place. It was a very ancient one too, as it had a flame inside. The room was very empty. It was suited for a battlefield, as was Kimu’s area. They could see a PC and a bed in the very back of the room. The walls were gray, like the cave. However, they had red drops all over them. A deep red: probably blood. A man was sitting in the very middle of the room. He had a white outfit, which was ripped in a diagonal way, and allowed to see the man’s back. The backside of that person showed deep wounds, burns, scars, and even blood spouting here and there. The skin was of a regular color, but was black in several parts. The person had long, red hair styled in upward spikes. He wore some sort of necklace, which was curiously made of Poké Balls and turquoise spheres. His body was massively wide and tall.

The big man got up, and slowly turned to Ray and Teal. As he stood up, both friends thought he was even more impressive. His overall height was almost the double of both of them. Dakim turned to his new visitors. His torso could also be seen because of the ripped outfit, and it revealed massive muscles. He was also badly hurt all over his chest with scars, burns and cuts. His face was as imposing as his body, but it was severely maimed. A few red lines resembling a flame painted his face. Those lines were pretty faint and almost invisible. The giant had two deep red eyes, which showed fatigue, shame and sadness… somehow. His face also had countless injuries all over it. Dakim grunted as he looked at the minuscule youngsters he had in front: “Hi… you must be those that Master Nascour is looking for. Quite pathetic, I must say. I expected much more from Trainers that defeated my very own Body of Soldiers.” Dakim sounded so confident and tough, yet Teal could notice weariness in his eyes…

Ray stepped in, and looked directly at Dakim. He wanted to negotiate: “Dakim… I know you’re not a senseless person. I know it by heart. Why don’t you back off Cipher and join us? We’re intending to bring Cipher down, but we’ll need help. After seeing the loyalty of your Body, and your thorough relationship with them, I know you’re not what you seem to be. Please… I beg of you.” The blue-haired boy kneeled in a respectful way. However, Dakim just let out a short laugh. “You think I’ll help you? I’m all for Cipher. I’ll never turn my back on them. And I won’t even think of helping some wannabes like you! Just leave…”

Teal walked on, and kneeled alongside Ray. “Please, Dakim. We’re just two… and you’re worried about something. I see it in your eyes.” The big man took a few steps back at this claim. How could she know he was worried? It was just asking for trouble. Dakim had to stand strong, though. He had to obey, or else… “I don’t know what you’re talking about, puny girl. But you better stop saying calumnies about me.” Dakim flexed his muscles, and made his right punch hit his left arm as a form of menace. “Still, you’re traitors. I won’t let you go so easily. You had your chance… but now I’ll have to show you my true power. You’ll regret coming this far. En Garde!” Dakim performed an impressive jump backwards, and he took position in the far back of the room. He then grabbed two Poké Balls out of many that adorned his necklace, and touched the small button in the middle: the Ball grew in size, and then was thrown at the middle of the arena: “Go, Claydol and Swampert!”

Ray and Teal got up and stepped back as soon as the Poké Ball’s energy was released. The burst illuminated the almost dark room for a short while. It revealed two impressive Pokémon. Swampert was a somewhat big, blue monster. It had a big, bulky body; two ear-like things on top of its head, two long arms, short legs, a big, round tail and yellow parts on its arms and its face. The menacing sight of this Shadow Pokémon showed that it was astoundingly strong. Claydol was a certainly weird creature: it floated in mid-air and had a brown body that resembled some sort of pot, and a weird, big head with a horn-like protuberance at the top. It also had countless red eyes all around its “head”, which opened and closed in weird intervals, and with yellow, beak-like things protruding out of its face in-between each eye. It also had two small spheres with a pointy end that could be considered as arms of sorts. White symbols with a yellow point in the middle adorned its body, and it had two lower ends that could be considered as legs. For a Shadow Pokémon, this one was quite motionless and calm…

Ray and Teal didn’t want to fight, though it didn’t seem as if they had a choice. They were now cured enough from the previous burns they got when battling Kimu, and they wouldn’t have that much problem. Teal got a Poké Ball out of her jacket, and threw it: “Go Bellossom.” The Poké Ball released the small and colorful Flower Pokémon in a burst of energy, while the ball went back to the hand of her owner. Ray proceeded, though he was a bit doubtful now. “Go, Gengar.” The funny Shadow Pokémon appeared in a dazzling movement, and with his red eyes, smiled sarcastically at his opponents. Dakim smirked, and went on by ordering attacks to his Pokémon: “Claydol, attack Gengar with Psychic. Swampert, attack Bellossom with Ice Beam.” Ray followed suit: “Shadow Ball on Claydol!” And so did Teal: “Double Team now, Bellossom.” Gengar was the fastest of the lot, and created a middle-size ball of a black color, which thrived in a dark energy. The sphere grew a bit more, and then Gengar hurled it at the floating Pokémon with force. The orb flew fast through the battlefield, and hit Claydol accurately. The Pokémon laid back, and lost a bit of balance. It still stood aloft, and proceeded to open all of its red eyes. A white aura filled all of them, and then, Gengar went completely motionless. The Idol Pokémon then hurled Gengar away with the power of its mind. The Ghost Pokémon crashed with the cave’s roof, and he stared to fall. Gengar managed to stay aloft, though, and stepped softly on the ground.

Right next to them, Swampert had performed its attack: the Pokémon gathered cold air, and then blew off a freezing beam from its mouth. The beam flew fast through Bellossom, but she had a plan: right before the cold beam struck, one Bellossom turned into many, forming a group of small Grass Pokémon in the spot. The beam then struck one of those Bellossom, but it turned to be just a fake. Swampert kept on launching cold beams, but they never struck on target. Many Bellossom decoys disappeared, but the real one was still intact. Swampert just gave it up, leaving just three Bellossom left. Teal then commanded her Pokémon: “Petal Dance now!” The three Bellossom started to spin around, dancing in a way that released a bunch of petals all over them. The trio didn’t stop, and even more petals kept on appearing. The three Grass Pokémon then spun and moved forward, almost to tackle Swampert with their body and the countless petals. However, Dakim caught them: “Shadow End!” Swampert gathered an impressive amount of shadow energy in a matter of milliseconds, and then attacked back at the Bellossom trio with its whole body filled with the black energy overflow. The attack was awfully strong as the two decoys vanished, and the real Bellossom was struck with so much power that she flew back to the room’s entrance. Her small red flowers rubbing and her eyes showing harm, Bellossom stood on the floor, but tried to get up. Swampert, though victorious, didn’t notice what was coming. First off, the shadow energy overflow was almost unbearable, and the Pokémon was damaged from deep inside because of it. In addition, the spinning petals stood on the spot, and flew at Swampert, whom was way too close to avoid them. The dazzling petals attacked the Mud Fish Pokémon by spinning around and striking in swarms. Swampert was seriously weak against Grass attacks, and the extreme Shadow Attack it had just performed also damaged it. Unable to keep up with the petals, Swampert fell down, out of energy.

“Get back, Swampert. Good job.” Dakim called back his Pokémon with the Poké Ball’s red beam, which engulfed the big blue Pokémon inside it. “Good… you’re a bit better than I thought. It won’t be much trouble anyway… now I call Flygon!” Dakim threw another Poké Ball, which released a gathering of white energy that slowly took form. It revealed a Dragon Pokémon. The same Harland used to fly back to his place yesterday: a green, big creature with red covers on its eyes, and two small, majestic wings. The Pokémon let out a deep roar as it looked menacingly at Ray and Teal. “And now Claydol, use Ice Beam on Bellossom. You use Dragon Breath on Gengar, Flygon.” The Pokémon started to charge their attacks, while Teal and Ray commanded theirs: “Avoid it and use Ice Punch on Flygon!” “Try to use Magical Leaf against Claydol, Bellossom.” Gengar flew fast through the arena, while Flygon blew out a fiery, green breath out of its mouth. Gengar was very fast and avoided the attack easily, while he charged a blue light in his right fist. He then flew towards Flygon, whom was received by a freezing punch on the stomach. The Mystic Pokémon backed off, as the attack was considerably strong. It still stood strong, though. On the other side, Bellossom had just returned to the battlefield in a sluggish speed. She then spread out a few shiny leaves around her body, and then hurled them at Claydol. The floating Pokémon looked reluctantly at the approaching leaves, and just limited itself to focus cold energy and then release it in an icy beam. The beam went through the colorful leaves, and froze them in midair, making Bellossom’s attack useless. Then, the cold beam struck Bellossom straight in her face. She was cast away, and didn’t get up afterwards. Adding on her previous battle with Roke’s Onix, the recent attack of Swampert, and now this cold attack, she was too weak to continue. Teal stored Bellossom back into her Poké Ball.

“Go Rapidash!” Teal threw a new Poké Ball, which released her fiery horse Pokémon. Rapidash choked the ground with her paws and looked with hatred at her new enemies. “Now attack Claydol with Fire Blast!” Dakim didn’t stay shut, though. “Earthquake now, Flygon! And Psychic on Gengar, Claydol.” Ray was last in giving orders: “Ice Punch against Flygon again!” The Pokémon went on, as Flygon started to gather an unbearable amount of power, just to be received by Gengar’s swift dive again. With the cold, blue fist, Gengar struck accurately at Flygon’s face, and the big Dragon was weakened even further. It dropped down slowly, after trying to stay afoot without results. It fainted shortly after. On the other hand, Rapidash blew off a powerful burst of flames, which took the shape of what could be called a five-point star, or some sort of symbol. The fiery symbol flew fast at the floating Pokémon, which couldn’t avoid it. The fire struck and damaged Claydol even further. It tried to stay aloft, and managed, but it was somewhat dizzy now. The impact of the flame didn’t hinder its attack, though. This time, Claydol focused its mind and released a blue orb of psychic energy, which flew at Gengar. The Ghost Pokémon had good reflects, though: he avoided it easily, while Claydol was stupefied.

“Agh… come back Flygon. Better luck next time. I now call my Solrock.” Dakim returned his Flygon and threw another Poké Ball. The device released an intriguing Pokémon. It had a round shape, and many spikes spouted out of it. The Pokémon floated in midair, and had a faint look on its eyes: they looked like closed or tired. Its body was orange and its spikes were yellow. It resembled the ancient representation of the Sun. Dakim was now a bit more confident, though he was impressed with his opponents: they were tough after all. “Sunny Day before you drop, Claydol. And you use Flamethrower on Gengar, Solrock.” Ray and Teal retaliated: “Shadow Ball against Solrock, Gengar!” “Shadow Blitz on Claydol, Rapidash.” This time, Claydol acted surprisingly fast, and focused its mind one last time. A shinning sphere formed above the Trainers and their Pokémon, and it stood on the roof of the cave. The sphere was like the Sun: it was pretty much white, and released an impressive amount of heat. It also was shiny and blocked the sight slightly. In this light, Gengar was pretty much disabled. Solrock took the chance to blow out a burst of flames from its orange body, which now shone as much as the orb on top of the room. Gengar was unsettled due to the light, and couldn’t avoid it. The attack was scorching hot and powerful. Gengar dropped to the floor, but steadily managed to get back up. He then created a black sphere in a fast fashion, and hurled it at the Sun Pokémon. Solrock was hit accurately, but because of Gengar’s weariness, the attack wasn’t as strong. Rapidash then charged at Claydol, striking with her horn that was charged with shadow energy. Claydol was resistant, but it was thoroughly damaged from the previous attacks, and slowly gave up. “Well done, Claydol. Come back…”

Dakim placed Claydol’s Poké Ball back on its collar and then proceeded to grab another one. He took a bit longer to launch this one, though. “You’re doing very well for starters, but it’s time to heathen things up. Go Houndoom!” Dakim launched the Poké Ball with force, and it opened in the air. A burst of white energy jumped off the device, and slowly took form. It was a sleek, black Pokémon that stood on all fours. It had white stripes on its back and paws. It had two long horns on its head, curved backwards. Its tail was like some sort of spear point, and its face bestowed a long mouth and penetrating red eyes. Houndoom roared with force as it looked with evilness at its enemies. “He was my first Pokémon. We’ve been through everything together. And this won’t be an exception… Houndoom will bring you down. Crunch on Gengar now!” Houndoom launched himself fast at Gengar, whom was surprised by the sudden outrage. Houndoom opened his mouth and then bit Gengar in the body. However, it wasn’t only a thoroughly deep bite: it had some sort of dark energy imprinted on it. The darkness affected Gengar, whom dropped down to his knees and looked as if he was suffering from a deep, invisible pain. He then dropped down out of tiredness…

“Come back Gengar. And I’ll send out Magmar!” Almost as soon as the red beam took back Gengar to his Ball, Ray threw out another one. It released his trusty partner: the fiery Pokémon with the long claws and the big head. Magmar roared and blew off a few flames as he appeared. “Now attack Solrock with Shadow Break!” Teal went on with her friend: “Use Shadow Blitz against Solrock, Rapidash.” Dakim didn’t stay shut, though. “Crunch on Rapidash, Houndoom. And you use Rock Slide, Solrock.” The Pokémon attacked. Houndoom was fast and launched at Rapidash. Then, he bit her with his powerful fangs, inflicting unseen damage as Rapidash stood motionless for a while, trying to get over something. After she recovered, Magmar teamed up with her, and both launched their bodies at Solrock, aided with shadow energy built on them. The attack took Solrock by surprise, and the impact was powerful enough to send it flying back. The Meteorite Pokémon stood up, though. It was resistant to Shadow attacks, being a Shadow Pokémon itself. Solrock returned slowly to its place in the arena, and then shook its body, as if summoning something. “Avoid the attack!” Both Ray and Teal shouted. All of a sudden, countless rocks dropped down in direction to the Fire Pokémon. Fortunately, they were agile and managed to move away of the falling rocks in time. They then assumed battle position again.

“Cross Chop on Solrock now!” “Fire Blast on Solrock, Rapidash!” Both friends were fast on their orders, and before Dakim could say something, the Pokémon were already attacking. Magmar launched himself with his arms in a cross formation. He then collided with Solrock’s round shape and toppled it down the floor. The attack caused considerable damage, and before Solrock could rise back up in midair, Rapidash launched another burst of flames that took the shape of a five-point symbol. The Fire attack was powered up by the heated sphere on top of the cave: the one that Claydol had released before fainting. The Fire Blast impacted the Sun Pokémon directly, and the rock was cast away. It fell down to the floor, and even if it tried to get back in action, it failed. Solrock dropped down, and didn’t get up. “Good job Solrock. Come back…” Solrock was sent back inside the device, and then Dakim placed it back in its necklace. Ray and Teal then assumed a more serious position: they knew what was next. However, Dakim didn’t grab another Poké Ball. Thinking that he didn’t want to use his last Pokémon, they kept on going: “Now attack Houndoom with Brick Break, Magmar!” Dakim just smirked and said: “Ha! I’m not beaten so easily. Use Crunch on Magmar now!” Houndoom was much faster and sleek and launched himself against the Flame Pokémon. However, before he could bite Magmar, Ray’s Pokémon launched a swift hit with his powerful fist. The impact went right at Houndoom’s mouth, and the Dark Pokémon was thrown away due to the force of the attack. “Now Rapidash, Double-Edge!” Teal called on her Pokémon all of a sudden, and Rapidash ran swiftly through the battlefield, clashing with the weakened Houndoom. Using all her body, Rapidash caused loads of injuries on the black Pokémon, which rolled down the ground a few meters before stopping. The attack was so strong that it even caused Rapidash to knock back a bit after colliding with Houndoom. Houndoom got up, but his paws were shaking as he did so. He didn’t stand up for long and dropped down at last.

“You didn’t stand a chance against two Pokémon, Houndoom. Well done. Come back…” Dakim grabbed the Poké Ball with his right hand, and then the Dark Pokémon was called back inside. Dakim then looked directly at Ray and Teal. They thought that was it: they had won. Even if sweating because of the shinning sphere above, they felt well. However, Dakim started to laugh hysterically. It wasn’t over… it was just beginning. “You thought that was my last stand? I didn’t release my last Pokémon after you defeated my Solrock for a reason. The fact is that it’ll destroy you thoroughly. You can forget about rules if you may. You can use more than the 3 Pokémon each you’re allowed to. After all, you’ll need all the help you can get.” Dakim then kept on laughing while he spun his own necklace, looking for a Poké Ball.

“Stop it now, Dakim. We’ve proven our worth… don’t use it.” Teal was about to kneel. She knew what was coming. The Pokémon she gave Dakim one year ago. The red-haired giant just laughed even more as he selected his Poké Ball at last. “This Pokémon was given even more power since then. You won’t be able to do anything against it. No matter how much you try.” Ray felt a weird energy in the room, coming from Dakim’s Poké Ball: this meant it didn’t contain a regular Pokémon. “Don’t do it, Dakim! I bet Cipher did something to your last Pokémon!” Dakim then laughed harder, and his voice suddenly became even deeper: “I don’t care what you say. I’ll beat you with this. Go Entei!” The Ball was thrown, and it released the Pokémon condensed in an energetic form. However, it wasn’t white, as usual. The energy that emanated out of the Poké Ball was black, and it exuded a rough, evil feeling. The energy slowly took form, and the Legendary Pokémon formed. Its shape was the same Teal remembered: lion-like complexion, majestic fur, a weird mask on its face finishing with a moustache, smoke-like fur and some sort of wings on its back, strong paws and chains on them. However, she knew something was wrong. Entei had a different color. Its body was of a dark blue color, as opposed to the brown tone she remembered. Its mask and its crown were darker too. Its smoke fur and wings were black. Its eyes were different too: they were almost the same as Nascour’s crimson eyes. They were red, penetrating eyes. The Pokémon breathed strongly, looking at the Pokémon in front of it, and roared with such passion and force it awoke an unusual fear on both Ray and Teal. It wasn’t all: this Entei exuded dark energy all over the place, as if its body was completely filled with it. Ray didn’t need Rui’s powers or high technology to realize this Entei was a Shadow Pokémon. But it was even more terrible than that…

Dakim then screamed and assumed a weird pose, as if he started to release power: darkness engulfed his body, and after a while, he appeared again, but different. It was as if he had done something that tired himself completely. Dakim then rose back, and looked at his opponents. His eyes were now red, much like Entei’s. He subsequently laughed in a malefic, deep tone, and talked with a new, awe-inspiring voice. “That’s all over. Attack Entei! Shadow Storm!” His new, deeper voice imprinted a weird fear on both Ray and Teal. Entei roared, and released loads and loads of shadow energy. The energy created a strong wind around Entei, and then, the Pokémon roared evilly. The energy gathered on the spot, and created a powerful twister formed of black energy. The twister advanced towards Magmar and Rapidash, barring away with everything in its path. Neither Magmar nor Rapidash managed to avoid the attack: the twister struck and sent them flying upwards. Both Pokémon impacted with the roof and fell down, weakened all over. However, that was just the first attack: “Now attack them physically! Teach them what pain means!”

Entei launched at the fallen Pokémon with such a speed it was unbelievable. It first attacked Magmar, and crushed his stomach with its front paws. The impact was so strong that Magmar screamed out of sheer pain. Entei then deepened its paws and claws even further on Magmar’s belly, and Ray looked terrorized as his Pokémon was being attacked in a brutal way: “MAGMAR!” Blood spouted out of the place where the giant Fire Pokémon pressed his massive paws. Magmar screamed even more “MAGGG!” And Entei kept pressing with such strength that it seemed as if Magmar wouldn’t last long. Ray’s Pokémon suddenly remained there, motionless, while Entei kept on pressing his stomach, blood spilling and drenching the white paws of that terrible Shadow Pokémon with a deep red. Magmar was breathing in a labored way, showing how tired and damaged he was. Entei then stopped and launched a powerful blow with its right front paw. The stroke hit Magmar right in the side, leaving a deep wound from where even more blood spilt. Magmar was thrown back to Ray’s side, bleeding and suffering. He looked completely injured, motionless… almost dead. Ray’s eyes shed out tears as he looked at his maimed Pokémon. It was horrible… downright horrible.

Entei then went on and attacked Teal’s Rapidash, whom was just getting up slowly. With a strong tackle, Entei toppled the Horse Pokémon back to the floor, and then proceeded to bite her. Entei bit Rapidash violently and deeply, causing a massive injury on her. Blood spilt from Rapidash’s body, as Entei kept on biting. It then pressed the injury with its paw, causing Rapidash to scream loudly. A shriek filled of sorrow. Entei then proceeded to bash Rapidash with its strong paw again, casting her away. Rapidash breathed weakly, as she tried to remain alive. Teal looked at her Pokémon with a deep sadness. She couldn’t believe it: Entei wasn’t only a Shadow Pokémon. It was a way more brutal one. It attacked mercilessly and caused injuries not even a regular Shadow Pokémon could cause. Both friends were now scared. Entei roared with fury, as it looked at the fallen Pokémon with evilness. Ray and Teal called back their Pokémon: they feared that Entei would attack them again.

“It’s terrible, Ray… I can’t keep up.” Teal was crying. She never saw her Pokémon so injured. It was just unbearable. Ray was scared out of himself too. However, it wasn’t only that: Dakim became somebody else. He wheezed and mumbled, looking at both of them with evilness. The red eyes of Entei then fixed on the duo, and it seemed it was ready to attack them if they didn’t send out a Pokémon. But what could they do? It was just too bad. Wicked… terrible. They had a very slim chance to win. They just had one Pokémon left each. Teal still had Wigglytuff and Dragonite, but Wigglytuff was severely weakened after the battle with Terra. She wouldn’t last long, if at all. Plus, they weren’t eager to risk their Pokémon’s lives. Ray wasn’t willing to give up until spending every chance, though. “Don’t let down, Teal. I know it’s just awful, but we must go on. I have an idea… but we’ll have to weaken Entei as much as possible.” Ray’s voice sounded confident, as if he knew what he was doing. Teal was just horrified… but she felt there was no other choice. After all, they’d be killed by Entei if they didn’t do anything soon. “Let’s go, Ray. I know… I have to Snag it.” Ray just nodded. Teal didn’t want to steal more Pokémon, but in the current situation, it was the only alternative. The only way to save themselves and Dakim…

“OK Dakim! This is not over yet. Go, Starmie!” Ray called his last Pokémon: the purple starshape creature. With one of its parts spinning fast, Starmie stood in the field, while Entei just roared. Teal grabbed her last Poké Ball, and threw it at the battlefield. “Go, Dragonite!” The Poké Ball released the orange Dragon Pokémon. He let out a soft bellow, and looked at Entei. Immediately, he assumed battle position. Dragonite wasn’t a Shadow Pokémon, as Teal managed to save him from Ein all the time. Even so, he knew he had to battle, since there was something wrong with that dark blue Pokémon in front of him. Ray’s Starmie and Teal’s Dragonite were ready, as Entei roared with more emphasis. “Let’s battle, you fools. You’ll never beat me. I’ll have to finish your Pokémon, and then you’ll be next!” Dakim was completely out of himself. The seemingly caring, concerned person was no more. Something expulsed his inner darkness: probably that Shadow Entei caused it. Ray and Teal grabbed each other’s hands: it was now or never… they had to stick through it. “Go, Entei! Finish them off!” Their hardest battle so far was about to take place.

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What will happen next? You'll have to wait for the next chapter. I hope you like it. All replies are appreciated. Until next time! :)

Drayano

25th October 2005, 9:22 AM

Wow, that Entei is strong.

'Hafta say, you're really good at portraying characters. That Entei was strange, nice idea making it really effected by the shadow energy.

No spelling mistakes I saw, if there were I was half-asleep while I read the first half. :o

Also, glad I could help by putting the link in my sig.

Lord Sonny XIXI

26th October 2005, 6:04 AM

You have just won another fan!

You fic was very good. It's cool to see that Cipher has gotten this powerful. Keep up the good work!

Sägwä Säräm

26th October 2005, 10:04 PM

That was good!

You keep writing "shinning". It's shining. Only one 'n'.

Sike Saner

28th October 2005, 8:21 PM

Dang...Not only do the battles continue to be faithful to the style of the games, but they've gotten rather fiercer...That Entei is very bad news, to say the least...if it goes reeeeeally pscychopathic, the results could be catastrophic. I do feel sorry for Magmar and Rapidash; hope they'll be alright. But I also feel sorry for Dakim - this higher level of Shadow-usage is clearly not good for him, and it's clear he's been having a rather rough time lately to begin with. Hope he'll be okay, too...

Jirachi385

29th October 2005, 12:13 AM

Oh my god!,that Entei is extremely cruel!
I can't imagine what Raikou,Suicune,Articuno,Zapdos,Moltres and ;249-d; would do!

Anyway,great job on describing what pain really means!

Keep it up!

Tazzler

30th October 2005, 1:16 AM

I didn't know you were such a good writer. Yay for using jynx. Right when I saw the author, I knew one of the main character would have a bellosom. Great description and minor grammer errors. I even favorited this. i would put it as a link in my sig, but I dob't know how do make it look custom instead of it being a usual link. Really good overall. You made some new shadow attacks,too.
So the pokemon they have-
Ray-Medicham
-Starmie
-Magnetric
-Magmar
-Gengar

Teal-Electabuzz
-Dragonite
-Jynx:D
-Rapidash
-Wigglytuff

I see some shipping between Teal and Ray. Poor Rui. Are you implying that Rui and Wes are siblings?

Keep up the good work. :D

Orion-Sama

6th November 2005, 7:33 PM

Many replies! I'm ovejoyed.

Thanks as always, Dray. I made my best to emphasize the power of this Entei, and it seems it paid off. I probably had a few mistakes here and there, but it's OK. Thanks for the support too. And also thanks for the Banner! I hope you can keep on reading. :)

Hi there, Celebi. It's great to have new readers enjoying my story. It's the reason I write for. Cipher is indeed almost unstoppable right now, but we'll see what happens as the story goes on. I hope you can keep on reading. Thanks again! :)

Hi Woppa. Thanks for pointing out this mistake. It's one I commit over and over, hehe. I'll try to record it on my head once and for all. I'm glad you like my story, and I hope you can keep on reading. :)

Glad to see you, Sike Saner! I thought for a moment that I had jumped the shark for you. Yep, it all went very fierce, and I'm glad I pulled it off well. The Pok&#233;mon were badly hurt and Dakim is suffering too. But well... read Chapter 6 to find out the results. I hope you can keep on reading! :)

It's great to have you back, Jirachi385. Yep, that Entei is very cruel, and it isn't over. It has a few more surprises you'll see in the next chapter. As for the other Pok&#233;mon... you'll see. I hope you can keep on reading. :)

Hi there, TazzlerLuva! I'm glad to have a new reader in you. I'm not THAT good, but I'm giving it my all to make this story the best one I've ever written. I knew you liked Jynx, and well... I always found her to be very interesting and just ignored because of this racism crap. That's why I made Teal have one. As for Bellossom... I'm not predictable, am I? :p I'm happy to have you subscribing to my story. It's a great honor! And don't worry about the advertisement. :)

As for their Pok&#233;mon, you're right. You just forgot Ray's Marowak and Teal's Bellossom (You did mention her, so it's OK, hehe.). And I made it blatantly obvious that Teal feels something else for Ray. But will he respond? We'll see... now. Did I imply somewhere that Wes and Rui were siblings? I doubt it. But either way, they're not. Oh well. I'm glad you liked the story, and I hope you can keep on reading. Thanks again! :)

OK people, Chapter 6 is here! What can I say? Read it... =o

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Chapter 6: Dakim’s Blaze (Part 2).

“What do you mean with that?” The Rogue Soldier was very angry. The Soldier group he dispatched to Agate returned to HQ without Ray and Teal… he was pissed. He bashed the table they were at, while shaking his fists with fury. “Why did you obey those nobodies? You had direct orders from ME! I told you specifically to get those two at ANY cost. You’re all a failure.”

“Sorry commander. But what else we could do?”

“You really have to review the priorities when it comes to Ranges. I’m above those ‘Dakim’s Body’ fools, or whatever they’re named. My orders come first… you’re really disappointing.” He then got another dip at his beer-filled glass. That didn’t chill out his temper, though. This was critical. He knew Dakim was capable, but also had the feeling that he wasn’t trustworthy at all, considering the menace Nascour spelt right on him all the time. The bulky Admin worked for Cipher not because of trust, but because he had to. Such measure wasn’t lasting enough…

“We’re going back to Agate. It seems I’ll have to guide you, amateurs. We’re leaving now!”

“Yes sir!” The bunch got up from their chairs, and then followed the angry, red-armored Commander to the Teleporter. The Rogue Soldier knew Ray well… he became his personal mentor when he came out of Mt. Battle after all. He had trained Ray to be astute, sleek, and not to say an excellent battler. If they didn’t get him as soon as possible, Cipher would regret it…

***

“We better get this over with as soon as possible, Ray. We don’t know how long our Pok&#233;mon will last.” Teal was worried. The Shadow Entei still emanated an overflow of dark energy, and assumed a battling pose: it was about to attack their Pok&#233;mon. “OK Teal. Let’s go, Starmie. Hydro Pump!” The Star Pok&#233;mon attacked swiftly by shooting a pressurized blast of water out of its top point. The blast flew through the room without losing potency at any moment. The blow was too fast to avoid, and it hit Entei right in its dark face. The impact caused it to back off a few steps, since Starmie kept on blowing the water out of its body. As it finished, Entei was all wet and certainly weakened. “Now it’s your turn Dragonite! Use Body Slam!” The orange Dragon Pok&#233;mon flew airborne and crossed the battlefield. He then launched his whole body at Entei, whom was still shaking off the water it had on its body. The impact was reckless and intense. Entei was sent back a few meters, but stood strong with its white, blood-dyed paws. The Pok&#233;mon then lowered its head, as if the attacks had caused a deep injury, but in a matter of seconds it was roaring again. Entei looked with fury at its opponents.

Dakim, whom was still seemingly possessed by Entei’s dark energy, grunted and shouted a new command for the evil Pok&#233;mon: “Shadow End… now!” The room was suddenly filled with even more shadow energy. Its flow through the area caused Ray, Teal and their Pok&#233;mon to shiver in fear. For a moment, neither Entei nor Dakim could be seen at all. Ray and Teal looked around, but all they saw was darkness: a deep, black atmosphere that almost blinded them from their own sights. Then, all of a sudden, Entei appeared and tackled both Starmie and Dragonite. But it wasn’t the regular attack: much like Swampert’s Shadow End, Entei collided with the two Pok&#233;mon, which then were damaged by both the Legendary Pok&#233;mon’s strength and the uncontrollable overflow of dark energy. It was so much that even Entei was damaged by it, but it stood as if nothing had happened. On the other hand, Starmie and Dragonite appeared down on the battlefield’s ground after the darkness dissipated. Starmie got up fast, but Dragonite’s body emanated a purple smoke all over his body. He got up, but it was evident that the attack had been too strong. Dragonite looked angered at Entei, while he wheezed constantly out of tiredness.

“That’s just incredible. We’ve damaged it, but Entei still stands as if our attacks were a thin breeze.” Teal was horrified. It was too much to take. Dragonite still suffered from the attack, and the purple smoke still spouted out of his body. Starmie’s red jewel started to titillate, which was proof of its now diminishing energy. It had a hard battle with Roke’s Armaldo back in the cave, and it had withstood Entei’s strong attack. They had to damage it as much as possible, though… even if it was a risk neither Trainer was eager to take: “Hydro Pump again!” Starmie made another effort and shot away another pressurized blast of water at Entei. It hit the lion-like Pok&#233;mon in its right side accurately, and the pressure sent it flying a few meters away. Entei’s strong legs were now shaking slightly, but it let out another roar as it released more black energy around. Entei soon stood up as if noting had happened. It was critical: no attack worked. Dakim was about to shout another order at Entei, but then, his body gave up to the evil energy that encased him: the various wounds on his chest opened, and blood started to come out of them. Dakim’s body was badly affected. For a moment, he recovered consciousness and covered his torso with his giant arms “Ugh… what’s going on?” His eyes showed thorough fatigue.

Entei stood still, but then launched to attack its opponents without its master’s command. Ray and Teal reacted, and as Dragonite recovered from the previous impact, she had an idea: “Ray! Make your Starmie use Hydro Pump again.” Ray nodded as he called on his star-shape Pok&#233;mon: “Hydro Pump again!” Teal then followed with another command: “Use Thunderbolt on Starmie’s attack, Dragonite!” Both Pok&#233;mon acted on. The purple star Pok&#233;mon blew off another pressurized blow of water, which flew fast through the arena, and approached the running Entei. Then, Dragonite fired off a blue lightning bolt from his white antennas on top of his head. The electricity flew a short distance, and then it touched Starmie’s water attack. The bolt combined itself with the pressurized pump and flew through the battlefield, shining and sparkling all over. The yellow blast struck the Shadow Pok&#233;mon with unbearable strength. It went like a drill through Entei’s strong chest, and caused double the regular damage. Entei stopped the rush after this, while the electricity flew through its body, which was also completely wet with several water drops. Entei shook its head, which spread many water drops around. The Pok&#233;mon’s body released even more black energy, and as soon as it felt much healthier and relieved, it looked with fury at Starmie.

Dakim was still bleeding and shivering, trying to resist the evil energy that attempted to take him over again. He dropped to his knees while Entei kept on acting on its own. In a sudden, almost invisible attack, it managed to get hold of Starmie under its big mouth. Entei had the purple Pok&#233;mon at mercy, and started another brutal assault: Entei bit Starmie with its mouth, deepening its sharp teeth on its enemy’s red gem. Starmie let out weird sounds, but even if they couldn’t be understood, they expressed a deep, unbearable pain. Ray was worried: “Stop it now! Let it go!” But Entei kept the biting. Starmie couldn’t take it anymore. Its gem was still titillating, but as Entei kept on deepening its fangs, a rough sound could be heard all of a sudden: the sound of a frail thing breaking. Ray’s heart was pumping hardly: he couldn’t believe it. Then, a few red shards fell down from Entei’s mouth. Entei opened its mouth, releasing Starmie for a while, but then grabbed it again from one of its points. Entei bit the Pok&#233;mon’s body fiercely, and ripped this point off the Star Pok&#233;mon. With a swift spit, Entei got rid of the now detached extremity, while Starmie dropped down to its feet. Deep fissures, a good chunk of its gem broken and its top point now gone, Starmie lay motionless on the ground. Ray was completely stunned and frightened… that was too much. Without saying anything, and with a sad expression on his already marked face, Ray called back his Pok&#233;mon into its Pok&#233; Ball. The red beam took the maimed Starmie inside. Though still frightened, Ray felt slightly relieved: Starmie was still alive. Otherwise, the red beam couldn’t have taken it back inside the Pok&#233; Ball.

Ray turned to Teal. He felt bad: she was now alone on this. But he had to trust her. Ray assumed a decisive attitude. Teal was looking at him too, concerned about her friend’s Starmie. Ray knew there was no other choice. Even Dakim had lost the control of the situation. The giant man twisted in weariness and darkness, trying to resist the evil flow, without results. The darkness slowly took over his body again, and he rose back with the mean glance and the deeper voice he had before. Ray gave a last word of advice to his friend: “Teal, it’s on your hands now. Try a last attack, and then throw the Ball. I know you can do it… you caught Entei once.” Teal was a bit scared, yet determined. She had to do it now or never. “OK, Ray. I’ll try my best.” However, as she turned back to Entei, Dakim shouted an order with his evil, deep voice: “Use Shadow Flare on her Pok&#233;mon!”

Entei roared as it opened its mouth. Then, a black flare condensed inside its mouth, glowing with a white, faint light alongside the dark blob. Entei then blew the blob off, and it flew fast through the battlefield. Dragonite couldn’t avoid it, and as the dark-light sphere approached the Dragon Pok&#233;mon, it divided in many more orbs. They then flew fast and stuck on Dragonite’s body for a short while. In a matter of seconds, they all exploded, causing a deep pain on the Dragon Pok&#233;mon. The black explosions caused Dragonite to drop down to his knees, but he tried his best to not faint: if he did, Dakim would win. More purple smoke spouted out of the places where the explosions had hit, and Dragonite barely contained the deep pain. He was weak to Shadow attacks, being a pure Pok&#233;mon, and he was weakened already after the previous attack. Wheezing strongly and about to drop down, Dragonite slowly got up. He had one last attack…

“Use Seismic Toss, Dragonite. Do your best to disable Entei as much as possible!” Dragonite was weak, but managed to go airborne and glide fast through the arena. He toppled Entei down with his strong body, and then grabbed the surprised Pok&#233;mon from the body, and went higher inside the room, almost colliding with the cave’s roof. There, Dragonite performed several spins in midair, forming a circular pattern. The spins were faster every second, but all of a sudden the flying Pok&#233;mon lowered the speed as he shrieked out. “Groww!” Entei was biting Dragonite’s neck, and was deepening its teeth on it. Dragonite’s neck started bleeding, and he slowed down even more. But he had to keep on going. He had to make the effort. Dragonite kept on spinning, and then regained the speed he had attained before. He made more spins, and then dropped down to the ground in a fast glide. He then pushed the evil Entei down with his strong arms, plunging down in an utterly dangerous speed. The aerial dive was so strong it caused a huge ruckus as the Pok&#233;mon collided with the battlefield’s floor. Dragonite jumped back and stood in front of Teal, touching his bleeding neck and kneeling down, completely exhausted. He did his best to resists a few seconds while Teal picked a Ball from her backpack.

Entei was down on the ground. The impact of Dragonite’s attack caused a big hole-like fissure to form right in the middle of the arena. Even so, Entei started to get up, releasing even more shadow energy as it did so. It was severely tired now, though. Teal had to do it now. “Go! Ultra Ball!” She grabbed a ball that was black on the top and had two yellow stripes on it. Teal closed her eyes for a brief second as she held the round device tight in her right hand. A shiny yellow light surrounded the ball, and then Teal hurled it at Entei. The Ultra Ball flew through the arena, and then opened a few feet before touching Entei. A white burst of light resembling a hand spouted out of the open device, and it touched Entei, whom was trying to get back up in a slow pace. The hand-like shine touched Entei, and the Shadow Pok&#233;mon was absorbed inside the Ultra Ball, as if it had been taken by force. The sphere fell to the floor, and it started to shake wildly. A burst of dark energy was pushing the tightly shut device as if attempting to break it up. Teal could just hope now. Ray joined her as Dakim slowly calmed down, though still filled with a dark aura. The Ultra Ball kept on moving, with a red tilt turning on and off every second. It took about a minute before the Ultra Ball started to shake a bit slower. The energy that tried to break out was giving in. A few seconds later, the red tilt turned off, and a ‘click’ was heard. The Ultra Ball remained there, motionless. It irradiated a bunch of dark energy, though. It was over… Teal felt relieved.

“We did it! I knew you could do it, Teal.” Ray jumped and hugged his friend, filled with joy. This was their first major victory over Cipher. Teal blushed, but proceeded to hug Ray in unison. “Yep… we succeeded.” She was tired, since her body had gone through a lot of pain prior to this battle, but she was even more worried about her Pok&#233;mon and Ray’s.

As the blue-haired guy stopped the hug, they both turned to Dragonite. He was wheezing and down on his knees. He turned his head to see his Trainer, though. He smiled at Teal and then dropped down while closing his eyes. His neck bleeding, and his body still leaking out a thin purple smoke, Dragonite had fainted, but happy, knowing he had helped his Trainer’s feat. With a straight smile and teary eyes, Teal picked one Pok&#233; Ball out of her jacket, and pointed it at Dragonite. The Dragon Pok&#233;mon was absorbed back inside the device. Teal looked at Dragonite’s Pok&#233; Ball after he was taken back inside. “Thank you, Dragonite…”

Ray walked on to the hole in the middle of the room. The Ultra Ball remained there, irradiating a dark energy. Entei was inside it, and it was such an unsettling situation. Ray crouched and got hold of the spherical device. For a short while, he felt this overflow of evil energy that dragged him into unconsciousness. The shadow energy that engulfed Entei tried to control him. He stored the Ball inside his pant’s right pocket before he lost complete awareness. It was over. They had saved both Dakim and themselves…

On the other side of the room, the dark force that had possessed Dakim when he used Entei had dissipated. The faint lamp of the room spread its faint light again. The big man took his right hand to his forehead, shaking it slowly. Apparently, he had a limited consciousness of what had just happened. His eyes back to normal, his body shaking out of weariness, and with a weak voice, he spoke: “What happened? Did I cause all this?”

“Dakim! Are you OK?” Ray then got back to senses and recalled the reason of striking Agate first. He ran towards the red-haired man, whom was tottering around like dizzy. Ray grabbed one of Dakim’s long arms and supported it on his back. Teal came along and helped Ray so Dakim could stand up. He looked at the younglings with his dark red eyes, which were awfully tired, almost unable to remain open. He breathed with difficulty, and the wounds all over his body leaked out a few blood drops. He had lost… but the help his opponents were leaning at him was amazing. Dakim knew he was doing wrong, but he couldn’t betray Nascour…

“Thanks for your help, but I’ll leave. You might have won this time, but I won’t be so easy on you for when the time of my revenge comes. Until then!” Dakim moved his arms up, while letting a small grumble. He then walked forth towards the entrance of his room. His steps were slow, and his movement irregular. He could barely walk, but he was somehow determined. He wouldn’t let his Pok&#233;mon die just because of a stupid mistake. He knew Nascour could see his every move, but he had hopes that his apologies would ease up his Boss’ anger. Dakim went on, and he was almost out of his shrine...

But just before he could get through the rusty door, Ray stood in-between Dakim and the entrance. He wasn’t about to let Dakim go now. He had to convince him. “No, Dakim! You’re not leaving!” The tall male looked down at the blue-haired guy. He was about to move him out of the way, but then Ray let out something he didn’t expect: “Why are you working for Cipher? I know you are a good person. I know that you love your Pok&#233;mon over everything. You also care a lot about your own Soldier Group. Kimu has you in very high esteem. That’s NOT the attitude of the average Cipher high rank. Why do you help them? They go against your very own principles!”

Dakim was impressed. With just a glimpse at his people and at his attitude, he already knew the truth. However, he couldn’t betray Cipher, no matter how much he wanted to: “None of your business. Now, please move.” Teal then walked on and joined Ray as an obstacle to the door’s space. “No, Dakim. You gotta hear us. Are you with Cipher for no reason? Why are you so determined to keep on helping them? Why is it that you’re so worried and concerned? What’s up with you?” The red-haired man was completely shocked. Teal had seen his eyes: full of weariness and impotence. However, how could she figure out so much out of sheer glancing?

“I… I… he… he can see my every move. Let me go! I can’t betray Nascour. If he sees I’m helping the enemy… my Pok&#233;mon…” That was the bit of information they were waiting for. Dakim finally let down to their claims. They were right… completely right. Dakim showed a deep fear when he said ‘Nascour’, though. He thought that Nascour could see him, no matter the time or the place. Teal now figured it all out: Nascour had Dakim working for him with a threat. A threat involving Dakim’s Pok&#233;mon. Even so, Ray was aware of one thing: Dakim had a wrong measure of Nascour’s actual powers. Dakim’s body was shivering out of fear as he thought of what Nascour could do to his Pok&#233;mon. It was enough torture to close their hearts…

Ray was fully determined. Dakim had expressed his actual fear and he knew how he could convince the bulky man: “Dakim, you’re wrong. It’s true that Nascour has powers beyond ordinary men, but they aren’t all-powerful. If they were, both Teal and I would be dead already. His psychic powers have a limit. I’m completely sure he can’t see you at every hour and at every place. I know the reach of his powers… and they’re not THAT powerful. Believe me...”

That made so much sense that Dakim couldn’t stand for Cipher anymore. It all came suddenly. Nascour’s powers were limited, or else, he’d be gone alongside the young, yet determined individuals that held him inside his room. He could trust them. Maybe if they helped him, they could destroy Cipher once and for all. Old hopes spouted back into Dakim’s heart. He calmed down at the relieved sight of Ray and Teal. After a long sigh, he started to talk: “OK… that makes sense. You have opened my eyes… you have. I’ve been blind for too long.” Ray and Teal were impressed. Dakim sounded serious and caring this time. His menacing tone was no more. “So, will you tell us your reasons?” Ray asked. Dakim sat on the spot, and invited both friends to sit down on the ground too. “I’ll tell you my story… it all started 40 years ago. Back then existed a small town in Orre, known as Ruby Village. It was a peaceful community where the inhabitants had two passions: agriculture and Pok&#233;mon Training. It was one day 40 years ago when I was born. As a son of dedicated Pok&#233;mon Trainers, I got to live with Pok&#233;mon since I was very young. My first Pok&#233;mon was Houndour… my eternal companion. He’s still with me, but…” Dakim went silent after this. Even so, he kept on going before Ray or Teal could ask anything…

“The community of Ruby town was especially passionate regarding Pok&#233;mon. We trained alongside our partners going through the traditional tests of strength, endurance, bond and teamwork. Those muscles are product of my total dedication through my entire training with my Pok&#233;mon. My parents were impressed: they knew I had potential. As I went on, the town discovered what I was made of. No one could defeat me. When I was 10, I was ready to enter the local Ruby Tournament. I won it 5 years straight: I was invincible. But when I became the local Champion for the 5th time, the entire town asked me to go into the Orre League. I had the abilities to win it all… or so they said. I accepted their support and the new challenge that lay before me. I went on in a trip through Orre…”

“For 5 years I trained and caught new Pok&#233;mon. My now-evolved Houndoom was the best, though. I caught all of my Pok&#233;mon in Orre… yep. This Region was rich in wild Pok&#233;mon back then. But well… where was I? Oh yes. I first crushed the Trainers in Phenac Stadium, and then came the Pyrite Tournament, which I won easily. My third step into championship was the Agate Colosseum, where I defeated the competition; and just before the Orre Championship I broke into Mt. Battle, conquering it altogether. And I arrived to the final challenge in the Orre Colosseum at last… I was unstoppable. No one could hold my sheer skill and power. I became the Orre Champion when I was 20. The hard work had paid off at last. I felt accomplished…”

“I went back to Ruby Town, looking forward to show off my achievement. It had been a long while since our small community claimed the Orre title. My family would be so proud. I was happy… until I arrived. What I saw was terrible: the entire village was burned. I looked around… I couldn’t believe it. Who could’ve done that? There hadn’t been any trouble in Orre for countless generations, and our town was peaceful. We never got into conflicts with anyone… then why was my village burned? Screaming in anger and sadness, I went through the village… not a single survivor. My world collapsed. My parents, my sister, and my friends… they were all gone. I dropped to my knees on the sight of the destruction. Nothing was left in the blazing wake of fire. For the first time in my life, I cried. I couldn’t protect my family, my friends, and the community. My previous happiness vanished just like that…”

It was very sad. Dakim had a very tough time. Ray and Teal were just soothed by Dakim’s story. But it wasn’t over… “Before I left town in complete depression, I could see a small wall of fire still crackling in front of me. Then, all of a sudden, a shadow formed behind it. The black shape became bigger, and as it approached the fire, it separated as if the wind had cut the flames in two. A man in purple was now in front of me, and he walked towards me. His eyes were red; evil… they awoke an unusual fear in me. His hair was wiggly and long, twisting above his head like several serpents. That was the first time I saw Nascour. He looked at me with a smirk filled with satisfaction, and when he was in front of me, he laughed. ‘Hi. You must be Dakim… the newest Orre Champion.’”

“’How do you know my name?’ Nascour just laughed… ‘Reading minds is too easy. Anyway… how do you like this? The destruction, the sorrow, the devastation… sublime. You should thank me for all this.’ My anger boiled at that claim. He had done it all. My fury overtook my reason as I launched a blow at Nascour’s face: ‘You did THIS? You filthy culprit! I’LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!’ However, I was stopped. Nascour’s eyes shone in a white light, and I felt my body completely restricted. I was frozen on the spot, by a power I couldn’t understand. ‘It’s not wise to do this, Dakim. You do things my way. Let’s have a Pok&#233;mon Battle. I wanna see if you live up to your just-earned title.’ He then blew me back several meters, but I stood strong… or so I wanted to think. I was scared to the root and boiling with anger. I didn’t consider the possibilities. ‘You’re going to pay! As soon as I’m done with your Pok&#233;mon, I’ll give you the punishment you deserve.’ Nascour just smirked. ‘Fine then. The name’s Nascour, by the way. Let’s get it on…’”

“I didn’t know what I had gotten myself into. The battle started, and Nascour proved to be more than a peasant. His Pok&#233;mon were outstanding, and they caused me so much trouble. This was the first Battle I gave my all at, since the tide changed within every move and I was overtaken by anger and a thirst of revenge. Nascour was clever and his Pok&#233;mon were impressive. It was as if he knew what I’d do next. At the end, I had my Houndoom against his Metagross. His Steel Pok&#233;mon was seriously vicious, though. Some sort of energy reinforced it… ‘It’s over Nascour. I win…’ He didn’t say anything, and just went on with the last round: ‘Shadow Rush…’ The Metagross folded its 4 legs above its round body, and then flew at Houndoom, powered by a dark impulse. I was wordless, but I knew that Metagross couldn’t take a Fire attack: ‘Fire Blast now, Houndoom!’ Houndoom blew off his strongest attack, but it didn’t stop Metagross. It was as if some weird energy protected it from harm, and the floating bulk kept on going. Houndoom witnessed how his attack failed, and he was as stupefied as I was. Metagross then crashed with my partner, causing an unnatural injury. Houndoom bounced back roughly and didn’t get up. The brutal attack even caused a thin purple smoke to spout out of my Pok&#233;mon’s body. I had lost… Nascour called this evil Pok&#233;mon back as he claimed victory. ‘Well… just as I thought. You did well, though…’ I resigned myself. If he finished off every person in the village, I was next… I bowed down and asked for my execution…”

“Nascour wasn’t planning on doing that, though. ‘I won’t kill you… you’re just too good for that. Unlike the wimps that plagued this worthless village, you have the power I need… and you seek out pure power. I know…’ Nascour could read my exact thoughts, and even knew my deepest desire. I wanted to be the best Trainer… to have power to crush everyone. ‘You’re right…’ Nascour then got out a Pok&#233; Ball out of his pants’ right pocket, and handed it to me. ‘This Ball contains the power you’re seeking. Join me and you shall get even more power. More than you’ll ever imagine…’ That Pok&#233; Ball… it irradiated some sort of energy. I went on and grabbed it, dragged on by its power. I wanted power… and that Pok&#233;mon was the answer. Nascour smirked and alleged while placing his hand on my right shoulder: ‘Welcome to Cipher, Dakim…’”

“Then, Nascour asked me to go on with him. ‘I’ll see you in the Under in one hour…’ He then vanished in thin air. I stored the Pok&#233; Ball he handed to me in my necklace. I regained senses as I let it go off my hand. Everything was ruined… and now I was into a tight spot. I had joined Cipher in my affair to get the ultimate power. But there was nothing else to do. I was grateful to be alive, but I felt like a wimp. Looking at the completely burned village that used to be my hometown, I walked on… when I heard something. A cry came from one house that was almost destroyed; yet it had a few stones still remaining. I moved the gravel and found a baby. The youngling was very small, no more than one week old. He cried out of loneliness, and he also held a ruby. That gem was familiar, though… it was my family’s. I decided I couldn’t leave that baby there to die. I grabbed him and took him with me as I left the place that used to be Ruby town. ‘Calm down, baby. There. You’re a strong one. Even so, I know it’s a hard moment… but I promise I’ll protect you whatever happens. No matter what this new path has reserved for me… I shall make your life worthy… Kimu.’ Though completely devastated and uneager to go on, holding that baby in my hands renewed my desire. I had a new reason to not give up, and it was Kimu…”

It was breaking. Dakim had met Kimu 20 years ago. It also was a huge surprise to see that Cipher actually started 20 years ago, as opposed to 15. Ray and Teal were both soothed and impressed. Dakim had been dragged on by something he couldn’t control. Ray wanted to know more, though… “That’s interesting to know, Dakim. But there are still many things. Why did you come back to help them? If I recall correctly, the New Cipher fired all of you former Admins to avoid suspicion 10 years ago.” Dakim closed his eyes, which showed thorough shame. “Nascour tracked us down. He unveiled the new scheme to us, and he established he wanted a full-on army of Shadow Pok&#233;mon. I didn’t want to get back with Cipher anymore. In my time off, I found and adopted Terra and Roke. Much like Kimu, they were children that were left off without any hope, anyone to care for them… but I made it my purpose to train them myself and teach them my principles. I wanted them to have a peaceful life. I didn’t want them to get involved. However, Nascour wasn’t pleased with my decision and spelt a menace on me. If I didn’t help him this time around, he’d kill my Pok&#233;mon. That was devastating and left me with no choice. My Pok&#233;mon were my other reason to remain alive. In this brutal take-over, I was assigned to Agate with one main purpose: block the access to the only source of Pok&#233;mon purification. I also had the mission of destroying the Relic Stone.” Dakim’s expression showed total dishonor and impotence. For a moment, his voice changed to a quite sad tone.

“I had to accept Nascour’s new assignment. There was no option. Plus, I had to protect both my Pok&#233;mon and my adopted children. Against my desires, I did what Nascour asked me to do. I took over Agate Village and attempted to destroy the Relic Stone… but I didn’t. I hid it in hopes of using it someday in the future and save the Pok&#233;mon… including mine.” Dakim grabbed his necklace, which had all of his Pok&#233; Balls as he said that, and then, tears started to flow out of his deep red eyes. Dakim cried out of impotence while he kept on going: “Those damned culprits… they poisoned my Pok&#233;mon’s hearts. They obliged everyone to transform their Pok&#233;mon into Shadow Pok&#233;mon, and I had no way out, for Nascour held his threat firm as I denied doing that. I had to transform my Pok&#233;mon into battle machines…” Dakim’s deepest feelings came out. He was angry, yet he knew he had no other option.

“Dakim…” Teal looked with sadness at the big man. Dakim suffered from deep within his heart. He loved his Pok&#233;mon too much, and had developed a thorough bond with them. However, obliged by Nascour, he had to turn them into senseless weapons. “I tried to go on… but I can’t do it anymore. I’ve done everything that’s occurred to me in order to make my Pok&#233;mon regain their feelings so I can purify them afterwards. But it’s all for naught! They’ll attack each other every time. Or if they have no Pok&#233;mon to attack, they’ll attack me… those wounds are proof of my effort. I’ve tried my best. I’ve given them everything… but nothing works. My body is completely worn out, but I can’t give up… or so I think. Many years have passed and I still can’t make them come back to senses.” The tears flew even more, as Dakim’s voice became weaker, filled with sadness and anger mixed in one. “Cipher is responsible, but I can’t turn my back on them. No matter how much I desire to destroy them… I hate them for what they’ve done. I hate Nascour! But I can’t rebel. My priorities are to protect my Pok&#233;mon and my children. I happened to save Flaria and Naze off the Mt. Battle complex a few years ago, and there’s also Roke, Terra and Kimu. No matter how much sorrow I have to endure… I’ll never let them die. If I betray Nascour, I know he’ll go on both my Pok&#233;mon and my children. He’s a sick person that won’t kill you if there’s something else that’ll cause you more grief while you’re alive. I must keep on going… for them. My Pok&#233;mon… and my children…”

“Father…” Kimu had arrived at the entrance of Dakim’s room. He was accompanied by the rest of Dakim’s Body: Terra, Roke, Flaria and Naze. Ray and Teal got up, while Dakim remained sat on the ground, wordless. Kimu had never called him ‘father’. “Our loyalty is with you, not with Cipher. And if we have to die in your behalf, then so be it…” Kimu entered the room, his eyes filled in tears, yet with a determined expression. Terra followed as she took out her white helmet. Below it was a very beautiful girl. She had long, brown hair and dark green eyes, which were also teary and happy. “You’ve been with us through everything. Thanks to you, we’re strong.” Roke followed, and he also took his helmet out to reveal a bald, brown-eyed guy: “Thanks to you, I’m here…” Flaria entered behind Roke, and she also took her helmet out. Her long, orange hair waved around while her black eyes shed out a few silent tears. “Thanks to you, I’ve got a family.” Naze came in last, and took his helmet out. He had short, black hair and brown eyes, which were also filled with tears: “Thanks to you, I’m happy…”

Ray and Teal couldn’t help but cry too. It was just impressive to see such loyalty in them. But it was more than that: it was father-and-son bond. Dakim was astonished, yet happy. “Whatever you do, we’ll support you, Dakim, for you’re the reason behind our lives. If it wasn’t for your kindness and your concern, we would be alone. Probably dead… we’ve found a family with you. In every regard, you’re our father…” Kimu then went on and extended his hand to Dakim, inviting him to get up. The giant, red-haired man was crying out of sheer happiness. “You really think of me like that? Even after all my mistakes?” Kimu and the others just nodded. Dakim grabbed Kimu’s hand with his shaky arm, and as Kimu held it tight, Dakim felt much better. “Thank you… but I can’t risk your lives.” Terra spoke again: “You always taught us the right way to do things. And everything that goes up ends up going back down. As we battled Ray and Teal, we learnt that there’s a better life out there. A life we must fight for.” Roke then replied: “We’ll betray Cipher together…” And Flaria talked too: “I found peace with you. But I’m determined to battle for Orre’s peace!” And then Naze commented: “Together we’ll succeed, father. Come on!”

“Hear what they say, Dakim. They’re willing to risk it all for a better future, and they’ll always be on your side even if they have to put their lives in danger.” Ray was completely eager to keep the encouragement. Teal then joined with her words: “Cipher’s caused too much sorrow to all of us. It’s time to fight back, Dakim! They destroyed your hometown and killed your family. They’re also threatening to kill your Pok&#233;mon. You can’t stay like that… and as you see, your children are eager to follow you.” Kimu then talked at last while he held on Dakim’s hand. “I know you want our safety, but we also know you want a better life for us. And we’re willing to fight for that… alongside you.” It was the most emotive moment in Dakim’s life. As he saw the support and the determination of his children and his former enemies, he understood many things. A desire he had pretty much forgotten about awoke again. A desire Wes managed to bring up 15 years ago. Blinded by his desire of power and the protection of his most dear partners, he had served Cipher for more than 20 years. But he still had the blazing objective of bringing them down… and he saw the opportunity at last. “Thank you, Kimu… and all of you too. You’ve made it clear to me. If there’s anything I can do, I’ll do it now. Ray… Teal… thanks for showing me that there’s still hope for a better future. Your thorough effort is proof of your potential. You wanted support? You have it in us…”

Cleaning his face off the tears, Dakim smiled at everyone. Then, a sound was heard inside the room. It was a loud ‘beep’ that came from Kimu’s belt. He looked at a weird device that looked like a cell phone, and then he gasped. “We have trouble. The Rogue Soldier is coming here with a numerous group of Soldiers!” Dakim had an idea, though: “You go and tell them I have the situation under control. I have a few things to show Ray and Teal.” Kimu nodded and then went out with the rest of Dakim’s Body following him.

Dakim was left with Ray and Teal. The blue-haired guy was curious about the things Dakim wanted to show them. However, they felt well. Dakim had acceded to help them and now they had a major edge in this feat. The sorrow was gone, and they were determined to help Dakim and his people overcome this situation. To give them a new and better life. Both friends were completely sure of giving it their all, now motivated by their former enemies. “Now come with me…” Cleaning their tears, they followed Dakim, whom led them to the far end of his room where a big wall of rock stood. A wall that hid a secret… the only way to save the Shadow Pok&#233;mon.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Quite emotive... I hope you like it. The tension will be relived a lot for the next few chapters. After all, you also need to stop being dragged on to the edge of your seat every other chapter. XD. Replies are greatly appreciated. Until next time! :)

Shadotor

6th November 2005, 8:15 PM

Good fic and good writer.

I never imagined that Cipher could become that powerful. They even defeated Wes. And Nascour has supernatural powers. :o
That Entei was also very scary. He almost killed the Pokémon.

I wonder what the Rogue Soldier will do when he realizes Dakim's betrayal. I suppose I'll have to wait 'till next chapter to find out.

You have just won another new reader.

Shadotor

Alfonc

6th November 2005, 9:42 PM

Awesome fic!

I hope Ray and his partners battle other Cipher Trainers that have Legendary Pokemon Like:Articuno,Zapdos,Moltres,Suicune,Raikou,;249-d; and friends!

Anyway,keep it up!

Sike Saner

7th November 2005, 12:06 AM

Oh...that poor man...*hugs Dakim*

That you have bothered to really give Dakim such character is so commendable to begin with, and now it seems we'll have him around for a good while. You have really succeeded in making a true Dakim fan out of me. ^_^

That Entei, though...they'd do well to find some means of returning it to normalcy ASAP. Its mere presence is clearly a contaminating factor...*worries*

Drayano

8th November 2005, 4:44 PM

Wow, who ever thought Dakim could be that emotive...

Story's going great as ever. I'm curious to see what the relic shrine is like. Now, what Cipher Admin would we see next...

umbreon_lover

9th November 2005, 1:15 AM

you almost killed magmar*sobs* and dragonite*sobs harder* but very good chapter *stops sobbing and applaudes* can you do pictures of the shadow enti?

Tazzler

12th November 2005, 12:39 AM

Very emotive. I have sadness for Dakim and starmie and rage against nascour. I'm glad that you donated jynx b/c of me(or that is what I thought). I really feel sorry for entei.

ShadowTrainer

18th November 2005, 5:31 AM

Wow miss so much. Sorry i have not posted before. Trying to keep up really hard for me. *kills new job* XD

This story really coming a long. Pulls you in and makes you seem like your really there. I love the new twist on the shadow pokemon and Cipher.
Seems so much better than the games. You need to be a writer for the games. I bet you get a tone more adult player after.
The more real life feel for this fan fic just wounder full keeps me on the edge. I woud suggest something but i think be to much real life.
Can't wait for what next. With you can be any thing ^^

shinneymeowth001

19th November 2005, 1:14 AM

Hi, I'm new to the site and love the story. I've only read up to chapter 2, so I can't review. great story so far, though.

Great story, but when are you going to write a chapter on Lovrina? Or Gateon Port to that effect? Isn't she the weakest Admin?

Lord Sonny XIXI

23rd November 2005, 8:45 PM

*pants*

Whew! I read chapter 5 and found it just as good as the rest. It was very emotional and surprised me to see Dakim do that. Very descriptive, especially where Dragonite is almost killed.

Please update soon!

Orion-Sama

24th November 2005, 3:57 AM

OK people. I know I just went over the 2 week deadline I setted up on myself. Unfortunately, the situation turned against me. First off, my dad's Laptop had its connection gone for an entire week, and I couldn't upload the chapter for my usual Saturday Night Writing (That's how I can suffice with the deadline.). Plus, I've been in Exams this week, and I had to study a whole heck of a lot in order to approve a subject where I'm doing VERY bad. That's why I couldn't write much, if at all... but I'll have next chapter up by next week. Or so I hope...

By now, I'll just answer to all of your replies. I got MANY! O_O

Thanks for replying, Shadotor. I'm glad you're liking the setting of this story. I always liked Cipher and those games, and I always felt that the awesome cast needed some retribution they didn't get in the games at all. There are many mysteries that'll be solved as the story goes on. And it's great to know I have a new reader in you. I hope you can keep on reading!

Thanks for the reply, Shiny Mewtwo. I'm glad you like the Fic, for I'm doing my best to please all of my readers. As for the question... we'll see. :D I hope you can keep on reading!

Hi there, Sike Saner. I'm very happy to see I managed to impress you with my portrayal of Dakim. He was one of my favorite characters, and I always felt different about him. It's great to see I managed to convert you. :D I also know you'll love the rebel's next approach. *Hint Hint* I also agree on the Entei issue. It's quite dangerous. There's still hope, though... I hope you can keep on reading!

Thanks for the reply, Dray. I'm glad you liked this chapter too. Hehe... yep. Beneath those muscles and tough attitude, Dakim is a very caring person. I always thought of him like that, since I played Colosseum. He was just quite respectful, and the toughness didn't fit him in its entire... but that's probably just my twisted imagination, hehe. The next few chapters will shed light in your doubts... just a bit more. I hope you can keep on reading! :)

Thanks for the reply, umbreon_lover. I know I went a bit haywire in this regard... but not much. I just wanted to emphasize the sheer evilness and recklessness of Entei. Why is that? That's further on the story. Still, I'm glad you liked the chapter. And well... I'm making Sprites of those Pokémon, so I can have a rough idea of their color. I might make a few fan art of characters and even a few Pokémon, though I'm VERY bad at drawing. I might show my sprites some time, though. I hope you can keep on reading!

Thanks for the reply, TazzlerLuva. It all was quite feeling-driven, I know. I'm especially good at that, I reckon. It's good to see I managed to make you feel anger against Nascour... but that's just one of the things he did. You'll find even worse things he did and a few he'll do as the story goes on. And Entei is just one of many Pokémon that have been corrupted thoroughly. Still... maybe I'm saying too much, hehe. I hope you can keep on reading!

Hi, my dear ShadowTrainer! I'm very happy to see you replying! I'm glad you're liking it. And well... I'm flattered. It's great to see that my writing has this real feeling to it. And I reckon I made this all way too intense, so I know how it drags you to the edge of the seat, XD. Nintendo has no clue of what a good plot is, at least as far as Pokémon is concerned. They had such AWESOME tools to work with in Colosseum and XD, but used them poorly. They should hire me, yes. :p And well... if needed, suggest anything. Maybe that could make the story better, and I'm all for it. I hope you can keep on reading, and thanks again! ^^

Hi there, shinneymeowth001, welcome to Serebii. I'm glad you like my story, and as for the darker color of Entei... maybe. I'll reveal more on that as the story goes on. Oh, BTW, double-posting is not allowed, but you probably knew that. Also, those talking smilies are annoying and considered SPAM. Please don't do it anymore... you don't want this Fic closed because of that, now do you? Either way, you'll learn as you come here. I hope you can keep on reading!

Thanks for the reply, Citolim. I'm glad you like the story (I'm like a broken tape, aren't I? :p). As for Lovelina, she's a bit far in the story. There are a few important priorities our cast have to take care of before going into Gateon. And while it's thought she is the weakest of them all, she's got a certain Pokémon that'll make it MUCH, MUCH harder. You'll see what's it about later on. I hope you can keep on reading!

Hi again, Celebi. I'm glad you liked the last chapter. I made it quite emotive, yes. Hopefully the Pokémon will recover from this awful battle. As I said, I had a hard time and I couldn't get the next chapter up in time, but by next week, it'll be up. I hope you can keep on reading! :)

Whew! I never thought I'd be SO popular here. I'll redouble my effort and improve as much as I can, so you all can keep on enjoying this story. Until next week! And I apologize for this delay. It wasn't in my plans at all... :(

Deathborn_606

9th December 2005, 2:07 AM

Well they first defeated Dakim in Agate which makes sense.

Now where would they go next. I think Pryite or Phenac. I think Greevil and Eldes are gonna be last and they have to beat Lovrina to beat Eldes and Greevil. Now time for CHAP 7!

Silent Shadow

15th December 2005, 1:20 AM

You've earned yourself a new fan, Orion! I've been following along for a while, and I decided to finally reply and I gotta say, the description of this fic is amazing. My fic can hardly compare, especially these few new chapters of yours. But don't get complacent just because so many people love it, you gotta keep doing your best work! And that's my words of wisdom for ya.

~SS ;rukario;

EDIT: And by the way, where'd you get the name Orion from? Cause I remember that name from Bomberman 64 as one of the sub-bosses you fight, and its been a nickname for a few of my ground type Pok&#233;mon. Just asking....

Morpher01

15th December 2005, 11:28 AM

0.0...wow. Never realized that Cipher would get so powerful. In my fic, Shadows of Fear, Cipher is just...Cipher.

But, anyway, still awesome. And, by the way, get Pokemon XD. No offense meant, but you've got all the XD character names wrong. But, since you started this fic before XD came out, I'll let that slide. But, just for the record, look at the XD Shadows list. You'll see the real names of the Cipher admins.

But, just for the record, and still no offense meant, the Shadow Attacks are officially (sp?) named.

Shadow Crush is really Shadow Rush (they kept that attack)

Shadow Attack is really Shadow Blitz (sounds better, I think)

Shadow Remove is really Shadow Shed (useless, but a nice name)

They kept the original names for all the other Shadow Attacks (I know this because I have XD).

But, back to your awesome fic. I like how you created a few Shadow Pokemon like Bellossom (I can never spell that for some reason), Camerupt, Onix (I like that one), Graveler, etc.

Overall, superb fic. Just get the real names of the XD admins and leader and you'll be perfect.

~*Myuu the Ryuu*~

15th December 2005, 6:49 PM

i love this story. I've been reading this for a while but now you've got yourself another fan! i wonder if mirror B. will have a new outfit

Orion-Sama

27th December 2005, 11:29 PM

Thanks for the replies, everyone! I'll comment on them later. There's a priority this time...

The wait is over! Chapter 7 is finally here! I wanna apologize with all of you. I never expected it'd take THAT long. The hiatus school spelt on me was paired with sudden distraction and a short Writer's Block. I should be hit by each of you once... :(

Anyway... here it is at long last! Enjoy. 'Nuff said.

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Chapter 7: The forest of salvation.

The Rogue Soldier was in front of the bridge that took to Agate Village, accompanied by several Soldiers. They all walked through the wood structure, following the angered commander into the village. The Rogue Soldier knew he had to get Ray now, or else, everyone would regret it. A weak breeze crossed the bridge, causing the commander’s scarf to wave around. The Soldiers were now into the green hill, and were going straight to the cave… but five Soldiers wearing white in the other bridge of the village stopped them.

“Move out, Kimu. I’ll get those traitors here and now!” The Rogue Soldier was furious and wasn’t eager to waste any more time, but Kimu stood on the spot, wearing his two-horned helmet, though he lacked his red scarf. “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you pass…”

“You’re BELOW me! My wishes are YOUR orders! Now get away and let us pass!” But Kimu didn’t move, supported by his five comrades. The arm of the Rogue Soldier now shook uncontrollably out of sheer fury. “I might be below you, but Dakim wants all of you out of this. He’s giving our guests the punishment they deserve right now. We don’t need of your assistance…” The Rogue Soldier knew it wasn’t wise to mess with Kimu, considering his superior physical buff. He grunted before turning his back. “OK… seems they’re getting what they deserved. We better leave.”

The Soldiers left back to the entrance bridge, boarded their motorcycles and went back to HQ. The Rogue Soldier wasn’t happy, though: “I know you’re still kicking, Ray. But I’ll give you time. When you least expect it, I’ll get you personally! I swear!” He thought for himself while riding throughout the desert.

***

The solid rock wall moved aside, as if it was a door in disguise. The inside couldn’t be seen at all until Dakim took a torch and lighted it with a match. The illumination was poor, but some sort of hall lay inside the secret passage. Ray and Teal didn’t know what to expect from this, but they decided to follow Dakim into the dark passage.

“What’s inside this place, Dakim?” Ray asked, but there was no response. They were walking through a seemingly long hall that was big enough to fit Dakim inside. It was a considerably long passageway, for they walked 10 minutes without anything besides rocks and dirt. “That’s a very long pathway!” remarked Teal. They kept on going for a few more minutes, until they could see an intense light ahead. “Almost there…”

The group finally reached the small hole that irradiated the light. As they entered, Ray and Teal were impressed: it was a small shrine of sorts. Ten gold torches, similar to those inside Kimu’s room, surrounded a round platform that was almost as big as the one they saw in the forest a while ago. However, this pedestal had a long stone placed in the very center. The rock was somewhat creaky, but it irradiated a feeling similar to the small shrine back in the forest. A soothing, relieving aura…

“This is the chamber I built in order to hide the Relic Stone from Nascour. That obelisk in the middle is the Relic Stone… the ancient artifact with the power of Time.” Dakim sounded as if eager to tell them a long story. Ray and Teal were soothed, much like when they entered the forest. It was a sublime, calming sensation… they forgot their dangerous feat for a while. “Tell us more, Dakim. I’d like to know more about this relic.” Said Teal.

“OK… this stone has been in Agate Village for generations. No one knows why was it made, or by whom. But one thing is certain: it’s got special powers. It has the power to relieve any living creature off all sorts of malefic restraints. As you see, it’s making you feel calm and forget your worries right now. That’s the power of Time…” Dakim then walked at the pedestal and sat near the stone, while looking confidently at his companions. As soon as that, the weariness and sadness that his eyes showed back in the battle against them vanished. They now had a much relieved, calmer feeling to them. “The power to forget your problems. The power to dispel all the darkness within you… such a wonderful antiquity.”

“It’s a wonderful thing indeed…” said Ray while looking at the long stone. “This stone is the main medium to contact a Pokémon’s heart. It’s also the only way to dispel a Shadow Pokémon from all the darkness it’s been subjected to. However… the new Shadow Pokémon are pretty much impossible to purify. The first batch wasn’t completely closed to a Trainer’s affection, and opened their hearts to them progressively. That’s why Wes managed to purify the first Shadow Pokémon 15 years ago. Deathgold’s method wasn’t much advanced either, which allowed to use this stone’s powers to revert them back to normal. But it seems Ein managed to improve such method in every form and way, eliminating every drawback of the previous one, and making it so the new Shadow Pokémon became impossible to purify.”

“Yep… we know about it somehow. Our Pokémon will never respond to any kind of affection.” Ray was ashamed of things coming so far… it was impossible to make advancement in the mission of purifying every Pokémon. “I know. As I told you, I tried everything to make my Pokémon come back to normal, but to no avail. This stone can only dispel the last bit of darkness into a Pokémon’s heart. As I see it, there are only two methods left to save the Pokémon…”

“Two methods? Which ones?” Neither of them expected Dakim to know this vital information. “Yep. There are two methods. However, as far as it goes, I’m only aware of the existence of one… and it’s so scarce it won’t be of much help. It’s the fabled Time Flute…” Dakim then got up and went to one of the pedestal’s edges. He touched it with his bare hands and a secret compartment popped out just below one of the torches. Dakim grabbed something that was inside, and then turned back to his former enemies. Extending his big hand, Dakim showed them a rusty wood flute. Though it seemed to be old, it was surrounded by a green, mysterious aura. “The Time Flute is an ancient artifact made around the same time as the Relic Stone. This flute has the power to summon Celebi, one of the three Pokémon Spirits. Celebi has control over time, and can help Shadow Pokémon on forgetting the dark feelings within, thus purifying them instantly. Unfortunately, this Time Flute can only purify one Pokémon, and once its summoning spirit is used, the flute will break… not to mention it’s totally scarce. Wes found 3 of them back when he trumped Cipher. I managed to find this one out of sheer luck 20 years ago… I hid it from Cipher as well as I could. Ancient lore has it that the ancient civilization didn’t make more than 10…”

With a look of both happiness and disillusion, Ray and Teal were ashamed to hear that. There were more than 300 corrupted Pokémon in the entire Region right now… and that was just a rough estimation. “I understand how you feel. Now that I know it’s impossible to progressively open a Shadow Pokémon’s heart, I feel the same way. It’s impossible to purify all Pokémon Cipher has corrupted with only 10 flutes, but… there’s another way. Unfortunately, I don’t know if it’s even remotely possible. It was a legend passed through every inhabitant in my village. My grandparents told it to me when I was seven…” Though a bit oblivious, Ray and Teal were eager to hear it. No matter how remote or unlikely… it was still a possibility. “Could you tell us, Dakim?”

“If you want, I will. It goes back a few eons ago… when humanity was young and they were just starting to know this world. Pokémon were ancient creatures, for they had been living in this planet long before humans existed… or so they say. Either way, as soon as humans started to develop, they met Pokémon, and found on them noble creatures eager to help each other. It didn’t take many years to see an effort from both species to support each other in various ways. Eventually, both Pokémon and humans built a civilization of their own, living in total harmony and peace. This happened in the entire world, even in Orre. However, there was a major event that changed everything.”

“Back then, Orre was a rich Region in every way. The green areas were plentiful. The rivers flew all over. It was a beautiful place… until that day came. A purple cloud descended on the Orre Region. This cloud was described to be the bearer of a bad omen in an ancient prophecy, but no one could do anything to stop it. Humans provided their best technology of the time in an attempt to fend the cloud off, and Pokémon used their supernatural abilities to blow it away. Unfortunately, all the efforts failed, and the cloud polluted the entire Region. Nothing had happened after it dissipated… or so people thought. This cloud didn’t affect humans, but after it dissipated, Pokémon started to act more violently and with a completely evil behavior. They started to attack humans… and themselves.”

“That sounds SO much like a Shadow Pokémon it’s not funny.” Ray was impressed at the pretty much exact resemblance of the attitude of those old Pokémon with the attitude of the new Shadow Pokémon. “I know… but we’ll get into that later. Anyway, the Pokémon started to act in a reckless way, and it seemed as if they had zero notion of their former self. Humans didn’t want to harm the creatures that had helped them so much, but they had two choices: fight back or die. The war started, but Pokémon had the upper hand. Humans were at mercy, lacking the technology needed to put up against the powerful creatures. The war destroyed the entire region, turning it in what it is now: a desert land…”

“It seemed as if it was the end, but one day, a noble individual did the unexpected. He was battling one of his former partners, but then, another Pokémon was about to attack its own comrade. The human couldn’t stand it anymore, and launched himself in the middle of the attack, saving the Pokémon that used to be his friend. That human died instantly, but it wasn’t a full loss. The Pokémon he sacrificed his life for was freed from the effects of the purple cloud and reverted to its normal state. It defeated the Pokémon that tried to attack it, and then turned to the dead human that had given his life for it…”

“When the battle in that area died off, the leader of the humans found his old comrade’s corpse, but there was something else. Inside the dead guy’s jacket, they found a flute. It was made of crystal and irradiated an incredibly strong aura. They didn’t know what could it be, but they thought it was the answer for the awful war. Accompanied by the Pokémon that was saved by the brave human, the people gathered in their last stand: an elevated hill that remained green and untouched. There, the leader of the humans played the crystal flute. The notes went through the whole Region, and all the Pokémon stopped their evil acts for a while. Almost immediately, the gray skies of the ancient Orre Region opened, and a big Pokémon descended from them. It was a purple one, looking like some sort of dragon with a smooth shape. It bestowed four protuberances on its back, which acted as some sort of wings. Its belly had 2 triangles that overlapped each other and shone in red, blue and purple. It had 2 small hands that had pointy claws at the end, and its eyes were shining in a green light. A symbol similar to a sand clock adorned its head while it looked down at the devastated Region.”

“What was that Pokémon, Dakim? You know?” Dakim closed his eyes for a while before responding: “Lation. The ancient Guardian of Time. It was summoned by that crystal flute, which shattered as soon as the notes stopped flowing. Lation screamed and released a shining flow of energy that enveloped the entire Region. The Pokémon calmed down just like that, and the darkness that tainted their hearts was dispelled with its powers. As the shinning energy dissipated and the Pokémon regained senses, Lation disappeared up into the skies. The Pokémon returned to their former selves, and it was as if they didn’t have any memory of what they had done. Peace had returned to Orre, but the damage had been done: the green, plentiful place was no more. A mostly deserted sight was what this senseless war caused…” Dakim took a bit of air before continuing. “That’s all the legend says. As you see, it’s completely unknown. The crystal flute that summoned Lation was dubbed as the Eon Flute amongst the Orre elders. That’s probably the only surefire way to purify all Pokémon… but it’s just a legend. I doubt the Eon Flute exists…”

Ray and Teal didn’t want to give it up, but that was pretty much true. The legend said that the Eon Flute shattered as soon as the leader of humans stopped playing it. Also, it was just a legend. “It seems there’s not much hope. Probably our only chance is to save Professor Krane and have him build a new Purifying Chamber… which will take some years.” Ray felt that was the only possibility now. Dakim got up from the spot he was at, still holding the Time Flute in his right hand. The big man walked back with the young deserters. “Never lose hope. I have a feeling that the Eon Flute must exist. I always have… or maybe someone has to summon it in one way. Either way, that should be the least of your worries. As of now, I’ll give you this Time Flute. We’ll go back to the forest. You then use it…”

“Why for?” Ray was disconcerted. “It must be a very honed relic for you, Dakim. Plus, you could purify one of your Pokémon…” Dakim just grumbled and shook his head. “Don’t worry. We’ll save that for later. Right now, helping Orre is the priority. I know who must be purified… the Pokémon you Snagged off me.”

Teal gasped as she thought about that: “Entei? But why?” Dakim told them while guiding them back into the long, dark hall again. “Entei is one of the three Spokesmen of Ho-Oh. No one knows the truth, but Ho-Oh is portrayed as the Guardian of Pokémon-Human relationships. Its three minions watch over the Region to observe how Pokémon and humans live together. Unfortunately, human’s ambition had them trapped into this mess. I bet only Nascour or Evice know the truth behind this, but I’m inclined to believe that the mass migration of Pokémon out of the Region was caused by the evil scheme of Cipher and everyone involved in it…”

“But what if they catch Entei again?” Teal thought it wasn’t a good idea, but Dakim was convinced of it somehow. “Only you could… and you’re not with Cipher anymore. Entei will be fine…” He smiled back to the green-haired girl while they finally got back into Dakim’s room. They went through the door to find themselves in the cave passageway. They went up straight until they reached the exit that led to the Agate forest. As they went outside the cave, faint rays of light, which went down all the way into the peaceful space, received them. The trees brimmed with the gentle caress of the Sun, as the young friends and Dakim found themselves back into the round pedestal; similar to the one they just had left. Though there was no tall, obelisk-like stone in the middle, the entire shrine irradiated the same calm feeling as the Relic Stone. Ray, Teal and Dakim walked on and stood right in the middle of the platform. Dakim then turned to Ray while handing him the wood flute he held in his strong hand.

“Here… play the Time Flute. Celebi will surely dispel the darkness tainting Entei’s heart.” Though still adamant about it, Ray grabbed the rusty wooden flute as he got his left arm inside his pant’s pocket. There, he had stored the Ultra Ball that contained the Shadow Entei. As he got hold of the spherical device, he felt the same thing as before: he lost consciousness as some evil force tried to take him over. In that state, he threw the Ball, which opened and released the evil Pokémon, with an overflow of purple energy surrounding it. Entei looked angrily at the humans around it. The dark-furred beast let out a menacing roar, while Ray was suddenly surrounded by a flow of dark energy emanating from Entei. The young ex-soldier tried to resist, but it was too late. The evil force that had taken Dakim before took him. Ray now had only one thing in mind: fighting his companions. “You two… it’s time.”

“Ray!” Teal was worried, but then, the possessed Ray opened his hand and the Time Flute slipped off his grasp. “Battle now!” said the young guy as the artifact rolled a few inches on the ground, and Teal grabbed it. “I’ll play it.” Taking the flute’s end inside her mouth, Teal blew through it, trying to come out with a melody. However, the flute let out a sound by itself as Teal tried to play it. The sound was peaceful… much more than the mysterious feeling the shrine irradiated. The notes went through Ray’s ears, and the black energy that had taken control of him ceased. On the other side of the pedestal, Entei, who was about to make of Dakim its first victim, calmed down. Teal was wordless as the flute she had just played shattered in many pieces and a green energy emanated out of the broken relic.

The green aura that spouted out of the Time Flute floated above the dark-furred Entei, and then took the form of a small, weird creature. It was a very small critter, with a green body and long hands. Its head looked like some sort of seed, and was pointy in one end, while bestowing two short antennas on its forehead. The Pokémon had beautiful blue eyes and a serene expression. It looked with happiness at the corrupted Entei as it flew closer…

“That’s Celebi, the Spirit of Time. Its powers might be limited, but I know they’re enough to purify Entei.” Dakim’s claim was kind of unbelievable, seeing how that Entei wasn’t the average Shadow Pokémon.

“Are you sure, Dakim? This Entei isn’t only one of a kind, but is also another breed of Shadow Pokémon I don’t know about…” said Teal.

“Pokémon are mysterious creatures with powers beyond our knowledge. Nothing humans have created will be able to stand against their powers… nothing…” As their small conversation ended, both of them looked at Celebi, whom now flew around Entei. The Shadow Pokémon released a huge amount of purple energy, which towered way above the forest’s trees. However, a green barrier protected Celebi, and the evil energy didn’t affect it at all. As the Timetravel Pokémon flew around the corrupted Entei, whom now wanted to attack the green creature, Celebi dropped rounds of green dust, and they touched Entei’s body. This dust had some sort of effect on Entei. Even after it looked angrily at Celebi, it didn’t attack. It was as if some force stopped it from attacking. Celebi then stopped all of a sudden, looking happily at Entei, and eager to leave. Then, its expression changed to a worrisome one, as it witnessed the same black colors and evil energy (Though much less now.) distressing the Volcano Pokémon.

“There’s something wrong…” said Dakim as Celebi stood floating on the spot. However, it didn’t last long. Celebi went closer to Entei and flew around, forming circles of green energy at its pace. The circles accumulated, and in a glimpse they formed a green barrier around the Shadow Pokémon. Entei was calm and didn’t even move as the barrier covered its body completely. Teal and Dakim looked at this new happening, a bit distressed, yet hopeful. Ray was just taking his right hand to his forehead, as he recovered consciousness: “What happened?”

“It’s all OK now, Ray. You were possessed by Entei’s overflow of evil energy. We’re glad you’re back, though,” said Teal to her friend, smiling. Ray then noticed the green barrier in the middle of the shrine. “What’s going on?” But he soon got his answer. A dim white light started to break through the luminous green barrier. Then, the wall disappeared in a burst of green and white shining orbs. As the three Trainers looked at the center of the small shrine, they gasped. Entei’s body was back to normal. It was the same brownish fur, the white smoke-like “cloud” on its back, the red and yellow mask and the evasive attire Teal remembered. Entei’s eyes were still awe-inspiring, but they had a white pupil now. Celebi appeared too, floating above Entei, and looking completely exhausted. There was also a big, dense cloud of a purple color. The foggish cloud went up, while small bits of green powder, released by the barrier’s breakout, surrounded the purple fog. The small shines crushed it, making it disappear entirely.

Celebi then flew upwards, and it disappeared around the forest’s trees. Entei looked around, as if it wasn’t aware of what had happened. It then looked at its paws, for they felt uncomfortable. Dirty… it glanced at the blood-drenched paws. As soon as that, Entei felt sad: he knew that blood had come out of a Pokémon he had hurt thoroughly. He looked concerned at the three humans in front of him. Entei felt deeply ashamed, yet still unaware of what had happened to him. Was it him who caused all of this?

Teal looked at the Volcano Pokémon, and she could see the deep perturbation he was suffering of. “Is everything OK, Entei?” Entei then lowered his head in deep shame. What would his Master think about him now? Entei let out a few, quiet barks, as if he wanted to apologize with the humans he had harmed so badly. He just knew they were aggrieved by his actions, and so would be his Master. Dakim went near the big lion-like Pokémon, and patted him in the back. “Don’t worry, Entei. It wasn’t your fault. Not even you had control over this awful thing Cipher did to you…” Both Ray and Teal were impressed: it was as if Dakim could understand the big Fire Pokémon they had just purified.

Entei then looked at the sky. He could feel it. Ray, Teal and Dakim were clueless, but they turned their heads upwards to see a clear midday sky. Then, all of a sudden, a loud sound could be heard: the cry of a bird. However, that bird should be very big because the bellow went through the entire forest. Unexpectedly, the sunrays were blocked by what seemed to be a shining, giant Pokémon. The three Trainers were utterly impressed, whereas Entei looked at this magnificent, golden creature with a deep shame.

“Don’t feel shame, Entei…” A calm, powerful voice echoed through the place. Could it be that gleaming Pokémon? “You’ve been set free by the Spirit of Time. Still, the task I spelt upon you must be furthered on. You did bad things, but it wasn’t by your own free will. You have my full trust. Regardless, The situation is hard. You must hide off for as long as this problem brews on. Hopefully, your friends will be freed too… when the time comes. As of now, the human I deemed as the chosen one 15 years ago must come back. Guide the Trainers that saved you down through the forest so they can find him. They’re this Region’s new hope…” As soon as the voice faded away, the Pokémon that had blocked the sky was gone. Entei, still looking at the sky, let out a very loud roar.

As Entei stopped the loud bark, he turned to Ray and Teal, and nodded while making non-understandable sounds. Still, both friends knew what he wanted… if that message was true. “We’ll go with you, Entei.” Still a bit out of himself, Ray tried to walk on as he grabbed his backpack with his right hand. Teal did the same while walking further to the center of the shrine, where Entei stood. Dakim, whom was near Entei, stopped them for a while. “Wait… I think your Pokémon need to be cured.”

Both Trainers had almost forgotten about that: their Pokémon had a very hard time back there. Magmar, Rapidash, Starmie and Dragonite were severely hurt after battling Entei, even. “He’s right, Ray. We should…” but Ray shook his head in disagreement: “I don’t think so. What if we get in trouble wherever we’re going? Without our Pokémon, we’ll be easy prey.” Dakim replied almost immediately: “I doubt they’ll be of much help in such condition… give’em to me. I’ll do my best to cure them. It’s the least I can do.” Dakim showed a deep guilt in his now tranquil red eyes. He felt responsible of all this…

Ray was reluctant, but it made sense… all their Pokémon were too weak to keep on going. Only Teal’s Wigglytuff managed to not faint, but she was way too weak already. Entei waited for the Trainers as they got their hands inside their pockets and got out their 6 Poké Balls each. They then handed the 12 spheres to Dakim. “Here, Dakim. Please take care of them…” said Teal. Dakim just nodded, and then the pair turned to Entei, whom made gestures and moves as if telling them to follow him.

“OK Entei. Show us,” said Ray, and the Volcano Pokémon jumped to the forest’s grass. As he set feet on it, he started to run slowly in a rather straight direction. The blue-haired ex-soldier followed the Pokémon alongside his green-haired partner. Entei kept on going through an almost endless mess of trees. The light that showered the shrine back in the entrance of the cave was no more: deep inside, the forest wallowed in pure darkness. Ray and Teal had a hard time following Entei’s footsteps, but he went at a slow enough speed so they wouldn’t lose track of him.

Entei turned to the right… straight again. Left… right… straight… right. The forest had the same calm feeling as the pedestal they had just left, as if Celebi had sheer omnipresence in the entire place. However, there were a few unsettling facts…

Ray talked with Teal as they followed the majestic Fire Pokémon: “What do you think of it all, Teal? Are you eager to keep on going?” Teal, whom ran at Ray’s right side, replied: “I’m tired, but now that Dakim’s with us, I have renewed hopes on this feat.”

“I see… that’s great. Where would you like to go next?”

“I don’t know. We managed to beat Dakim, but I think we shouldn’t take such a risk next time…”

“I agree… sorry for pushing you through all of this. I think I should’ve heard you. I bet Miror B. wouldn’t have caused us as much trouble…”

“It’s OK, Ray. You were right all along. It seems most of our possible supporters reside in Agate, but I think our next target should be Pyrite Town.”

“I’d say the same… but we’ll see. Oh!” They almost lost track of Entei, but they turned right, and both were astounded about the next scenery: they were in a rather illuminated clear of the forest. Still surrounded by countless trees, this small meadow in-between the woods looked like an Oasis of sorts. There was a small pond ahead, and the trees around had several fruits hanging on them. Ray could notice a gathering of fruits resting at the foot of one tree, though… as if someone was living here.

Entei looked up, shifting his sight around the trees that surrounded the meadow. Ray and teal couldn’t help but wonder what he was looking for. All of a sudden, he maintained his sight on the branch of a very tall tree, and then let out a somewhat loud bark. Ray and Teal looked at that same tree, and noticed a seemingly tick shadow moving on top of it. Then, the shadow dropped down to the grass below, and looked at the Pokémon and his companions. “Cipher… you’re back? Why for? You came to finish me off altogether?”

Teal gasped, while Ray couldn’t help but clean his eyes: a rather bulky, rough man was talking to them. As the light illuminated the stranger, they could see the person that was talking to them, which caused even more surprise. Though very different from his former appearance 15 years ago, it was he, undeniably. His gray hair wasn’t upward and spikey anymore: it was very, very long and down to his back. His yellow eyes looked a bit hammered, yet they still irradiated a rather menacing feeling. His face was now covered with a thick beard of a gray-ish tone. He still wore the same blue coat, which was a bit torn up because it couldn’t fit the body of his wearer anymore. Both his black shirt and his black pants were all torn up, and appeared to be rather uncomfortable. The stranger had massive muscles in his legs, his chest and his right arm. He had no left arm, though. This dirty stranger looked menacingly at Ray and Teal, as if willing to jump off and strangle them both at the minor provocation.

“Is it really you? Wes?” asked Teal. The tough stranger gasped at this question. How could they know him? And why weren’t they attacking him still? “You bet I am… now why did you come looking down for me again? I heard Nascour claiming he just needed a part of me for whatever sick purposes he had. I’d live concealed here as a result… and I was rather OK. I never expected you to come here ever again… why?”

“We’re not with Cipher. Well… not anymore. We’ve turned our back on them, and we want to finish them off once and for all,” said Ray, but Wes was still in the defensive, covering his face with his lone right arm, as if Ray and Teal could strike anytime soon. “You can’t fool me… you came to kill me… even if I’m not a threat anymore…” Wes seemed ready to jump on. His anger and fear raising, he launched at Teal.

“What?” Entei stood right in the way, as he received a powerful blow from Wes’ bare hand right in his side. Though barely injured, Entei felt a bit of pain: he was still weak after the battle he had before. “You cowards! You brought your Shadow Pokémon so it could protect you? I’m sick of you…” Wes walked back, and was about to jump back into the trees, when Ray screamed: “Is that right? You think Entei is a Shadow Pokémon?”

Wes turned back. “Why wouldn’t it be?” and Ray responded almost immediately: “You didn’t see Entei when he was corrupted from deep within. He would’ve attacked you right now, or even before. Heck, he would have attacked us too. This Entei here was just purified… released from whatever sick method Cipher subjected him to. He protected Teal out of shame and redemption… you can’t see that?” Entei then looked at Wes, showing the same deep shame he had shown before in the shrine. Wes remembered something he had forgotten long years ago: the way a normal human could distinguish a normal Pokémon from a Shadow Pokémon. Though the black aura was invisible for him, he could notice a slight viciousness in all the Shadow Pokémon he Snagged, not to mention a deep anger. That Entei didn’t have such rough eyes or the evil attire of the average Shadow Pokémon…

“Entei… is it really you?” Entei nodded as he walked closer to Wes. The untidy Trainer now knew it: that Entei was pure and free. But if that was the case, why was it with Cipher? “I can’t believe you… you managed to make Entei serve you somehow.” Entei denied Wes’ claim with his head and with dog-like sounds. “We’re not with Cipher anymore. We want to take them down. We followed Entei up here, and we’re amazed to see you’re still alive… but it’s OK if you want to remain here,” said Teal. Wes thought about all this for a while. They wore Cipher uniforms, but they could be telling the truth. After all, Cipher was pretty much reckless in his ways, especially after Nascour’s take-over. The two younglings weren’t eager, probably not even willing to kill him… but should he trust them?

“It seems Entei has some sort of bond with you both… for whatever reason.” Wes suddenly sat down in the grass, as if eager to talk, even if he didn’t trust the Trainers in front of him. Ray and Teal went closer, fearing another attack, but they saw Wes stood there, silent. “You wanna hear my story then?” Ray and Teal nodded as they sat down in front of the long-haired man. “Fine then… it goes back about eight years ago. We had just returned to Orre after a short trip to Hoenn…” all of a sudden, Wes went all silent. However, he continued after a few seconds of silence, “Rui and I. I thought it was all peaceful now, seeing how I took Cipher down about 7 years ago. We returned when the awful news of Eagun’s and Belluh’s death reached us.”

“As the funeral finished, I decided to go into a stroll through the forest as Rui stood in her now-gone grandparents’ house… it had been long since I did that. The peace and nature was always a good feeling to have, at least for me. I went through the Relic Shrine, and memories came back: it had been long, but I managed to save those Pokémon from their awful fate. I felt rather well with myself, and decided to go deeper into the forest. Though fairly dark, it was still peaceful, and made me think a bit. In this careless state, I couldn’t notice the moment a numerous group of Cipher Soldiers jumped off the trees and ambushed me. When I noticed, it was too late. They seized me while I moved around, trying to release myself… but to no avail.”

“’Well, well… look what we’ve got here!’ It was Nascour. I knew I could take him down, but I was seized, unable to move. I had to stand strong, though: ‘What do you want?’ I asked him. Nascour laughed hysterically before he said: ‘Wes… you know it as well as I do. I don’t want you to interfere with us anymore.’ Nascour sounded angry, yet satisfied. ‘Cipher is coming back, and you lot won’t be able to stop it this time. That’s why I’ll have to disable you… literally.’ As soon as he finished, Nascour’s eyes shone in a creepy white light, and I felt some strange force was influencing my body. ‘Let him go now… I’ll take care of him,’ said Nascour to his Soldiers, and they let go of me. However, I couldn’t move at all. Nascour’s hand now pointed at me, open completely…”

“’I won’t let you go without helping me, though. Your prodigious skill shouldn’t go to waste. And I have a method to emulate this ability of yours. Thus, I shall take a part of you with me!’ Nascour then raised his other hand, pointing it at my left arm, and then closed his fist. I felt a deep pain, and suddenly, my arm felt as if it’d be ripped apart off my body. I screamed out of sheer pain, but Nascour didn’t stop. Pulling my arm with whatever his powers were, he finally succeeded: my left arm was extirpated. The pain was unbearable, and I almost fainted as I saw my left arm floating alongside my body, sustained by the same energy that kept me from moving.”

“Using his supernatural powers, Nascour made my detached left arm float right to his hands. ‘That’s just the beginning, Wes. I’ll leave you disabled for one week. By the time you can move again, you’ll be either dead already, or we’ll be far too ahead for you to be a menace anymore. Now, if you’ll excuse me…’ With a snap of his fingers, the Cipher Soldiers launched on to my jacket and grabbed my 6 Poké Balls. I couldn’t move out of sheer pain and Nascour’s energy keeping me from doing so. They took my Pokémon away… and they left right away.”

Wes’ story was awful, but Ray and Teal didn’t want to interrupt him. They were just gaining his trust, and saying something inappropriate would be a mistake. “I dropped to the ground, unable to move. I couldn’t even sleep out of the trauma and the fact that they were out doing as they pleased, while I was left off in this forest, completely disabled. My biggest worry was Rui, though. I knew Nascour would kill her, and I felt discouraged… unwilling to go on.”

“Four days passed, and I was dying out of starvation. My thirst was even worse, as was my insomnia, but nothing could compare with my preoccupation about Rui’s destiny. I had to keep up… I had to last one week at least. After that, I should remain alive as long as I could… to see Rui one last time. Then, all of a sudden, a dim green light surrounded my body. I felt a warm touch in my entire body, and also a whisper: ‘Don’t worry… she’s still alive.’ As the murmur faded away, the shine that had surrounded me disappeared too. I moved out of instinct, and I was astonished: I could move my body again. Whatever that light had been, it dispelled the power of Nascour, which deprived me from any kind of movement."

“It was some sort of miracle… and the voice said she was still alive. I assumed it referred to Rui. That message renovated my hopes, and I decided to keep on living… though it was much harder than I had expected. I walked through the forest, feeling weak, almost unable to move. I was starving, and felt like I’d die in shortly. I then found a few fruits on top of a tree. I tried to climb it… with no results. Without my other arm, the task was excruciatingly difficult. I tried to climb… I slipped down. I tried again… I slipped again. For two days I tried to get the treasured fruit on top to no avail. I felt like crying… I couldn’t stand it for much longer. I hit the tree out of frustration with the scarce strength I had left… tears slipping through my face. I felt weak, but above it, useless… I had failed Rui, Orre, and myself. And I couldn’t even save my life. I couldn’t do the slightest bit of effort…”

“Yet you’re still alive… how could you do it, Wes?” asked Ray. Wes sighed before continuing. “Well… as I punched the tree, a few fruits dropped down. I felt rather blessed, but that wasn’t something to celebrate about. It’d maintain me alive for a few days at most. I grabbed and ate the fruit, regardless. My hunger and my thirst were mildly satiated, but I still needed to find a way out so I could survive the next few months… or years. I walked through the forest. I discovered this small meadow out of sheer luck, after wandering aimlessly for days. The small lake over there was plentiful enough, and has provided me with water for 8 years nonstop. It’s also a fortune that rain still falls in Orre from time to time. I still had the issue of food, though…”

“I needed to climb the trees, or punch them. I tried to climb them several times, slipping down every time. However, as I went on, I noticed I could climb higher as days passed on. By punching and kicking trees I managed to get a few rotten, yet vital fruits to keep me going. I did that for many months, and my body built up for the effort I did every day. As my strength increased, I could climb higher. By the end of my first year living in the forest, I was ready to live here for as many years as possible. I could climb to the top at long last; the water supply didn’t die, and it still hasn’t; I’d never eat rotten fruit ever again; and my physique had improved beyond words. But that didn’t make me happy…”

Wes suddenly smashed the grass near him, and a few tears started to flow out of his eyes. “I couldn’t go back to Agate. I had seen Dakim and his Soldiers around, and I didn’t stand a chance. No matter how much I had built up, my buff wasn’t anything when compared with Dakim’s. I didn’t have any Pokémon with me either. This made me depressed: Rui was probably dead by now, and I couldn’t stop it at all. But I had to resist. I had to. The voice that released me said that she was alive, and I had to stand through to see if it was true. But it’s been 8 years… and I’ve lost almost all hopes of seeing her again…”

Wes was dragged into a deep sadness, as Ray, Teal and Entei looked at him. The dirty adult had no encouragement, no hopes… but if he knew the truth. Teal decided to tell Wes everything: “Wes… I know how you feel. However, your patience will soon pay off. We just secured Agate. It’s safe to go back there again.” Still oblivious, Wes just shook his head, neglecting this claim: “How can that be? Dakim is too strong… I don’t believe you.” Ray then stood up and pointed at Entei. “Look there. That was Dakim’s Entei. Teal snagged it off Dakim after a very hard battle. Four of our Pokémon were badly hurt, and that’s why we don’t have any right now…”

Teal then got up too, and looked at Wes as she said: “But that’s not all. We met Rui. She’s alive.” Those words spurred an unusual happiness in Wes’ heart. Maybe those two youngsters were telling the truth. They dressed like Cipher recruits, but they never stepped on to hurt or kill him. They even heard his story avidly. Wes looked around as he got up: the meadow he had lived at for eight years was lively, and all over it, marks of his effort, his hopes, his dreams, were imprinted. The wood of a few trees showed signs of being hit several times. The trees were fruitless for the most part. The small lake in front had a noticeable low level. He had waited eight years for a signal… and it was probably those two Trainers. He then got his lone hand inside his right pocket: he got a rusty, torn apart photo. It depicted him and Rui in front of her grandparents’ tomb. It was the last photo they took together…

Teal continued as Wes got up, looking at the picture he had brought out. “She needs you, Wes. She’s out of this world: completely demented, unaware of her surroundings. Of this awful situation. Losing you has been the worst thing ever happened to her. In fact, only you can get her off this state. Only you can…” Wes then looked at Teal’s eyes. They were black, yet they showed untapped honesty. Closing his right fist, Wes had taken a decision. Maybe it was suicide, but if they WERE telling the truth, he’d see Rui again… “OK then. I’ll go with you…”

Entei barked and then started to run through the same direction they came through, or so they though. Entei stopped, as he noticed no one was following him, and then just gave the three humans a nod. “Let’s go,” said Ray, and the two young Trainers followed the brown Volcano Pokémon, with Wes besides them. They went through the same mess of trees and random direction turns again. Luckily, the forest was pretty much empty, save the trees. While dark, Entei was noticeable enough, and they never lost track of him. After running through for about 10 minutes, they finally made it back to the Forest Shrine. The round pedestal made memories flow back into Wes’ head. He was back… he really was.

Entei stood in the middle of the round platform, looking at Ray, Teal and Wes one last time. The three looked back as Entei barked. Immediately, Entei jumped off the shrine and onto the forest, where he vanished, almost like a ghost…

“Thanks, Entei…” muttered Teal as she turned back. There was the entrance of the cave, which led all the way into the green hill of Agate. Wes looked at it, feeling hopeful, and even lucky. “Are we really back?” Teal just looked at him, and nodded while closing her eyes. She then said: “Come with us. We’ll take you with Rui.” Teal and Ray went on through the cave’s entrance, with Wes between them both. They thought about showing Dakim what they have found, but they felt he was busy with their Pokémon. They crossed the hall-like cave, going through a small river and the many metal doors at both sides. They quickly reached the exit, which led to a small pond and a small inclination. They went through, and reached a rather long bridge. Kimu was in the end they had just reached.

“Ray. Teal. I’m glad you’re safe,” he said as he noticed the untidy man that accompanied them. “Who’s him?” he asked. “He’s Wes, Kimu. As amazing as it sounds, he wasn’t killed by Nascour, and managed to survive through for eight years.” Kimu was astonished. He had heard about Wes from Dakim a few years ago. He was one of the few that managed to defeat his father. “Impressive. Well… I won’t hold you any longer. Go on. However, I must inform you that the Rogue Soldier is after you both. We managed to send him off, but it seems he won’t rest until he gets his hands on you. Be careful if you’re willing to go on…” and with that, Kimu moved away to the same patch of land where Ray, Teal and Wes stood. “Thanks Kimu. We’ll be on our guard.” They then went on through the bridge, going up through a green path, and turning right to end up in a house Wes remembered vividly: the former home of Rui’s grandparents.

Wes noticed the entrance door was down, and then turned to Ray and Teal. Ray blushed slightly as he said: “It was the only way we could enter. But don’t worry… Rui’s not a menace for Cipher anymore. That’s why they’ve left her like that…” Wes felt his heart beating faster out of happiness. He then led the group inside the house, which was as dusty and dark as Ray and Teal had left it at. They then went upstairs and into the room in the far end. The door remained open, and Rui was still sat in the dusty bed of the room. She was muttering something that was almost unheard: “Shadows… ghosts… solitude… death…” Wes was wordless… she was completely out of herself. But he felt well. Rui was rather untidy, as he was. Her body had developed, and even if demented, it was as if she just remembered the most intrinsic actions: those humans performed out of sheer instinct. Though a bit scared, Wes stepped inside.

“Rui… I’m here.” The orange-haired girl turned to Wes. Magically, her eyes won a more lively blue color as she looked at Wes’ yellow eyes. “Is it really you? Wes? No… that can’t be. It’s probably another illusion. Those ghosts are back… and they want me again…” Rui then twisted around, with her arms on her belly. Wes knew it’d be harder than he thought.

“You stay here, Wes… Rui needs you,” said Teal. Wes nodded, but before they parted, he stood in front of them. “Wait up… there’s something I must give to you.” Wes got his only arm inside his jacket’s right pocket, and opening his palm, showed a small device to Ray and Teal. It was a rather long, yet small gadget that had a few buttons and a flashy screen. It was of a gray color, and fitted in Wes’ big hand entirely. T was some sort of portable computer.

“Here, take my PDA with you.” Ray was clueless about this: “What’s it for, Wes?” Teal stepped up, however. “That’s a Pokémon Digital Assistant, Ray. It provides many features, such as E-Mail, information about the Pokémon you see, and even a map.” Wes nodded at Teal’s explanation before going on: “I received a Mail from Nett a week ago. I was about to go to his new hideout today, but you spotted me beforehand. Not that I regret it, though…” he said as he turned to Rui’s room. “Take it with you. Nett’s Mail provided me with the whereabouts of his group’s new getaway. The PDA pinpoints it somewhere in the Agate Forest. You’ll see they’ll be of much help on this feat. Even more so than I’ll be…”

“Thanks Wes. We’ll find them. Now… we’ll leave you alone. Good luck,” said Teal as she got hold of Wes’ PDA. Both Ray and she left afterwards, as they saw Wes going back into Rui’s room. They went out of the big tree house, and back into the Agate hill. They looked at the PDA’s small screen. Teal moved through the device, seeing how Ray was almost a newbie in PDAs, never seeing one before.

“Here… Wes’ E-Mails. And there’s the most recent one: Nett’s.” Teal pushed one of the PDA’s buttons as she highlighted the newest Mail. A new window popped up, showing Nett’s message:

Wes:

I don’t know if you’re still alive, but my feelings say you are. You know we’re on a tight situation, don’t you? I don’t even know why I send this to you. You were completely disabled… still. We want to lend you as much help as we can. To do the slightest bit we can afford to at least slow Cipher down.

In this regard, I have sent you the location of our new hideout. Just open the attached map, which will show your current location and the location of our hideout. There’s no missing it!

We’ll be waiting for you…

~Nett

Teal then opened the attachment, and a small map popped up in the screen. It showed them their current location with a small gold dot. Teal saw a few options in the screen, such as “Zoom in” and “Zoom out”. Teal zoomed out and noticed that there was a new spot depicted with a red dot, which read “Hideout” above it. It was at a considerable distance…

“Well, I guess we better go find it,” said Ray. Teal nodded as she kept the device open, and just zoomed in a bit. They went back all the way to the cave that took to Agate Forest, eager to find yet another group of supporters…

-------------------------------------------------------------

Here you go. I earn as much hatred as possible. :( But I promise I won't take AS long anymore. And if I do, I'll let you know.

Anyway, I hope you haven't left for this awful hiatus. Replies are always appreciated. Until next time! :)

Sike Saner

28th December 2005, 12:49 AM

Ooh...Lation sounds cool. And I like the way Wes was described there - it sounds like even though he's in quite the need for a shower and has been bereaved of one of his arms, he's managed to keep his looks. ^_~ Awesome. I feel kind of bad for him...having to live on rotten fruit...bleah. At least he pulled through, though. ^_^

Drayano

28th December 2005, 12:58 AM

Still great writing Orion ^-^. Just found one mistake;

T was some sort of portable computer.

Are you sure you don't mean it?

Clicky (http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/8088/banner1dh.png)

Raichu_Trainer_Chris

28th December 2005, 1:46 AM

Must....kill...Cipher....must...resist...urge.

Kabuto

28th December 2005, 2:30 AM

Well you got ALOT of time on your hands to say the least. You write all this and I can barely read it. Good job nonetheless (didn't finish). I'm sure you put Shadow Bellossom in that story somewhere!

Lovrina addict 4ever!!!!

28th December 2005, 8:06 PM

Great chapter, it was worth the wait. Although Wes isn't THAT mutilated in my fic, your protrayal is a lot better than mine, I coudn't make Wes that strong because he needs to be captured by a 12-year old boy (Me) or a 37-year old woman (Lovrina) you took an unoriginal charachter and made an original out of it. Good job!

shinneymeowth001

28th December 2005, 10:45 PM

I'm not good at reviewing. but I'll try:

You put a lot of detail in your fic; I could easily Imagine everything.

It seemed celebi had some trouble purifying entei; It took some extra time, probly cause it wasn't called on for a while (8 years) and that Ein advanced shadow making.

1. what pokemon talked to entei? I bet it's Ho-oh since lugia and the Kanto birds are with chiper, suicune and Raikou are shadows and can't fly, Mew and Mewtwo would be rediculous, and lation can't be summond without the eon flute like Dakim said.

2. why doesn't chiper just take over the world already, they seem capable, don't they?

Off topic: sorry my post are annoying, I don't want to close the fic, and I'll try not to be a nuesence anymore.

Latias_tamer_3

28th December 2005, 11:30 PM

Wow! This fic is pretty neat! I was hooked since the first chapter! Your word mastery and imagery are very good, and I can't WAIT for the next chapter!

Silent Shadow

29th December 2005, 5:55 AM

All right you updated! *Was about to die from suspense*

Wow! This fic is pretty neat! I was hooked since the first chapter! Your word mastery and imagery are very good, and I can't WAIT for the next chapter!

Couldn't have said it better myself! ;)

Orion-Sama

29th December 2005, 6:47 AM

OK. Time to respond. :D

Thanks for the reply, fireKP1. Well... it's rather a given where they'll go next now, if you read chapter 7. As for the rest... you'll have to wait. I hope you can keep on reading! :)

Thanks for the replies, Silent Shadow. As for the first one, thanks for the compliments. My description is rather lax most of the time, but it's in the perfect balance IMO. Not too few to leave you clueless, and not too much to bore you down. And I'll always do my best. After all, you all earn it. Thanks for replying recently too. I'm glad you like it all. As for Orion... I got it from the name of Orion's Belt and the stars named Orion. I love the Universe and the stars, and I adopted the name in all my Pokémon games, and even others. I like it too much, and kept it everywhere I go. Anyway, I hope you can keep on reading! :)

Thanks for the reply, morpher01. Yes, I noticed I used the wrong names for the Shadow attacks, but that was because that chapter was written before the dubbed attacks were revealed. I used the right names afterwards. I also got the names of the XD characters wrong... however, I only regret Tom. I was intending to use his dub name, but I didn't want to leave the Fic unposted until XD was released. It's too late to change names now. Continuity issues. Plus, I intended and remain in my decission of using the japanese names for the XD Admins. Their american names just... no. I WILL use Verich when the time comes (MUCH better than Mercharich, but it's the ONLY one.), but the rest shall remain, both for continuity and for them being overall MUCH better names... oh well. No offense taken. :) I'm glad you liked my Shadow selection too. More will come. Anyway, I hope you can keep on reading!

Thanks for the reply, XD001emerald. I'm glad you're liking the Fic so far. As for Miror B... hehe. You kinda hit the nail on the head. But we'll see. Let's just say he became a kinky Tycoon. :D Anyway, I hope you can keep on reading!

I'm glad to see you, Sike Saner. Yep. Lation is rather cool. I created it long ago in my first half-decent Fic. It played a much bigger role there, though. Still, I'm glad you liked it. As for Wes... indeed. He's become a buffy handsome guy. And he had a VERY hard time indeed. I had to make it seemingly realistic, XDD. He'll have more awful things happening to him, but that's way later on. Just a heads-up. I hope you can keep on reading! :)

Glad to see you back, Dray! I knew one of my most loyal readers wouldn't leave me. Thanks for pointing the mistake. Stuff that happens when you're in a hurry, hehe. I'll fix it soon. And the new Banner is awesome! I'll use it from now on. Thanks again! I hope you can keep on reading! :)

Thanks for replying, Raichu_Trainer_Chris. XD, who wouldn't want to kill them? And that's just the point of the iceberg. Atrocious and awful things lay ahead. Still, I hope you can reply with your impressions and such next time. Thanks either way. I hope you can keep on reading!

Thanks for the reply, seizureman. Well... not really. It's just that the early morning lapse is wonderful for writing. When the hiatus isn't as bad as it was, I can stay up until 3 AM and write a lot. Usually on Saturdays. And yes, Teal has a Shadow Bellossom. As expected. ^^ I hope you can finish reading, and I also hope you can keep on reading!

Thanks for the reply, Lovrina addict 4ever!!!!. I'm glad you liked my portrayal of Wes. Thanks for the compliment too. Wes was kinda original, but had zero to no emphasis on his background. Something you're bound to see in my Fic. Maybe in the next few chapters? ;) I hope you can keep on reading!

Thanks for the reply, shinneymeowth001. Glad to see my description is good enough. Celebi had trouble because Entei is a different breed of Shadow Pokémon. Read its description in "Dakim's Blaze (Part 1)". Come on, it's not hard to figure if you played XD. ;) Glad you liked Wes too. As for your questions... it was Ho-Oh of course. Dakim said Entei was "one of the 3 Spokesmen of Ho-Oh", and also the purified Entei felt shame for what he did and "knew his Master would be disappointed". The second question? Well... they're on it. In fact, you'll see they're in other Regions already. You'll have to wait until the Mt. Battle Arc for more info on it, though. And don't worry. Your post was OK. Keep on coming. I hope you will! :)

Thanks for the reply, Latias_tamer_3. I'm so honored you said such things about my writing. I'll do my best, as I always do. I hope you can keep on reading! :)

Whew! Lotsa replies. More are always welcome! BTW, Chapter 8 will hopefully be done in one week. As of now... thanks a lot! You keep my inspiration going!

~*Myuu the Ryuu*~

29th December 2005, 3:18 PM

yay!!!!!!!! new chapter! i think this is really cool. i wonder if the legendaries from the other regions will come into play here. also, the mystery pokemon who blocked out the sun could be rayquaza...

Deathborn_606

29th December 2005, 8:51 PM

Well I enjoyed that. I pity Wes for what he had to live thorugh the past 8 years and I hope he gets to Rui.

Anyhow Teal and Ray going to see Nett, Bitt, Marcia and MEgg {I think} might change their location of where to go next. They would either go to Pyrite town or Mt. Battle since they're the closet and I don't think their ready for Vice City yet.

guiltysparkzz

30th December 2005, 12:01 AM

*reads through all seven chapters in a row* This is probably the best Colosseum-related fic I've ever seen! Other than uses of the forbidden words (mad and such...) and a few problems with the past tense (bitted), the grammar is very nice. There's also some vague plottish errors, since Eldes and Greevil (Not Deathgold anymore) gave up Cipher.

Latias_tamer_3

30th December 2005, 1:20 AM

*reads for a second time in a row* Ok, now I have some plot Q's, not very serious but, what happened to Verich's bodyguard? You know, the guy in the red? I already fininshed XD so I really do not want to give the ending away so I'll post my question like this: If Verich's bodyguard didn't like Cipher anymore and convinced him to turn over to the police, where would that land him?

Also, Lation sounds cool, but what happened to the Lati@s? Are they, in any way, affiliated with the Lation? (I know it sounds dumb asking an obvious question like that, but I'm curious.)

guiltysparkzz

30th December 2005, 5:46 PM

Didn't he say Eldes had control over something? Hm...

~*Myuu the Ryuu*~

30th December 2005, 6:58 PM

i've got it. when ho-oh appeared before ash, it was golden right? and the golden giant thing have the cry of a bird right? well so it has to be ho-oh.

Tazzler

1st January 2006, 11:30 PM

Once again ore great writing by *Orion*. Each day I check your signature to see if the story is updated. I hope Rui gets back to normal now Wes is back. I also hope jynx will be the first of their shadow pokemon to be purified if they single the shadow pokemon out. Great job!

firewater

2nd January 2006, 6:53 PM

more please !!!

this story is pretty cool

~*Myuu the Ryuu*~

2nd January 2006, 8:56 PM

more please !!!

this story is pretty cool
he'll post it when he posts it...
TOPIC: do you think ho-oh will be made into a shadow pokemon?

ShadowTrainer

3rd January 2006, 6:50 AM

Nice chapter.
Got me wanting to know more really.
So much came to mind reading this.
Was a very big chapter.

^^

Orion-Sama

25th January 2006, 12:41 AM

Thanks for the comments, people! And I apologize for the long delay again. Vacations took a 180&#176; turn, and I didn't feel like writing much, if at all. Plus, I'm easily distracted because I'm stupid like that. It's an issue I'm thinking about, but I'll let you know when I come to a decission...

I'll comment on your replies later. Here's chapter 8! This chapter is very calm and funny. What became of Nett and everyone else? You'll have to read to find out...

EDIT: I stupidly forgot! I might have XD now, but this chapter wouldn't have been out that soon hadn't it been for the help of my trusty friend, Tropical Spirit. Thanks for the info, pal! This chapter is especially dedicated for you! ^^

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Chapter 8: The secret oasis.

“Good luck then. I’ll take care of your Pok&#233;mon,” said Dakim as Ray and Teal got out of his room. They were back in the cave, and they didn’t stop until they were out in the Agate Forest. Teal still held the PDA on her hands, while the screen showed the gold dot in a spot marked as “Forest Shrine”. Teal zoomed out to find out the location of the red dot. It was rather far… and it wasn’t into the big green area that depicted the forest. It was positioned in a smaller, gray-ish spot.

“It seems it’s a long way. We better get on with it,” said Ray as he walked on inside the forest. Teal went by his side, guiding him through. They went into the rather dark woods, trying to find an acceptable route. Teal walked on to notice the small gold dot move toward the distant red dot a few inches each several steps they took. Teal knew it’d take long, but they were safe: Kimu had gotten rid of all the current suspicion from Cipher Soldiers; and seeing the state of the Region, all wild Pok&#233;mon had evacuated long years ago…

“We’ll just have to use this map until we reach the red dot…” said Teal as she kept on walking. Ray felt rather bored about it, but it was a preferred change of pace after so many battles and even a possession from the evil energy. He felt fairly relieved as his short blue hair waved around with the breeze of the forest.

They ran through silently. The red dot was closer to the gold dot, yet it was still far. Ray wanted to break this silence as he slowed down. Teal noticed and did the same. “What is it, Ray?” she asked, a bit concerned.

“I thought it’d be a good time to talk like the old days…”

“Yes. I’d like that....”

“Great. Well… are you OK after all this?” he looked concerned at Teal’s face as he asked.

“Well… I’ve been certainly scared. And I also felt very hurt for a while,” she said as she placed her right hand on the place Kimu had bandaged her with his red scarf. An area that had been badly injured by his Lairon. “But I feel alright.”

“That’s great. I could say I feel the same as you. However, I also feel a bit insecure,” said Ray with a preoccupied tone.

“Why is it, Ray?”

“I don’t know. Maybe we just lucked out against Dakim. We still have several places and Trainers to beat…”

“And you think we won’t be able to do it?”

“It’s not that… it’s another thing. I don’t want you to be involved anymore, Teal.”

“What do you mean? That I’m not to risk my skin?”

“Exactly. I can’t bear to think you could get hurt because you acceded to help me…”

“Well, Ray, I’ll go on with you. Whether you accept it or not.”

“But Teal…”

“But nothing. We’re together in this, and I’ll be even more worried if you’re on your own!”

“Really?”

“Of course! We’ve been through many things together, Ray. Remember. If it wasn’t for you, I’m completely sure I wouldn’t have survived the days at Mt. Battle. Also, my biggest inspiration to struggle during my training at Eclo Hideout was you. I hoped to see you again, because…” Teal was about to blush and say something she didn’t want to, but she stopped soon enough. “Because you’re my best friend. No… you’re the only person left for me in my life. As much as you don’t want me to get hurt, I also worry about you!”

“That’s very nice of you, Teal…” Ray felt very well. He also appreciated Teal, but he never thought Teal had him in such a high regard.

“Stop overprotecting me, Ray. We’re together in this, and I will go on as long as you do!”

“OK. Thanks, Teal. We shall stick together until we fall in our feat. I’ll be glad, though, knowing we did our best.”

“Don’t say that, Ray. We shall stick together until Cipher falls!”

“Yes, you’re right.” Ray then smiled to Teal, and she did the same, trying to hide her blushing. Both friends kept on walking through the forest, going in-between countless trees, and almost unknowing where they were going to. Teal checked the PDA to see the gold dot still rather far from the red dot.

“Well… we better hurry, Teal. We might get another time to talk, hopefully.” Teal nodded and started running in a straight direction. Ray followed suit, going by his friend’s side. They went through the dark woods, crossing countless trees and stepping on the grass for several minutes. They kept on running, while Teal watched the gold dot in the PDA’s Map closer to the red dot with every moment passing.

All of a sudden, a few sunrays stroke their faces, and they looked around. They were in an open meadow, much like the one where they found Wes half an hour ago. However, that wasn’t the only thing they found: a somewhat big cave stood in front of them. The entrance irradiated a faint light, unlike the one back in Agate Village. As Teal watched the PDA’s screen, she noticed the gold dot almost overlapped with the red one, and their current location read “Secret Oasis”.

“It seems the hideout is inside. Let’s go,” said Teal, while Ray nodded and went by her side. Both friends went through the cave’s entrance. This cave was certainly unusual. A big light came from further inside, and the overall atmosphere was kind of wet and lively. Small plants grew on the side of the sandy getaway, as if a big source of water lay somewhere near.

“Seems like we’ve reached the spot. Good job, Teal.”

“No need to thank me. Wes gave us the medium, while Nett programmed the map. I just followed the direction,” she giggled as she finished, and as she set the sight on the scenery, she was certainly surprised, as was Ray. They reached a weird realm inside the cave. As they looked up due to the evident source of light, they couldn’t help but gasp at the sight of an open roof, in a circular shape and surrounding a big area around them. A few palm trees could be seen in the vicinity, and the unnatural glow of water being struck by the Sun glimmered all over the cave’s walls. In front of them stood a certainly big lake, and just a few feet ahead, an awkward building made of several materials. The building had a big antenna of sorts on the roof, and a very rusty structure.

“It must be here. We better go on…” said Ray as they kept on walking. The now fading midday Sun fell through the big hole in the roof, showering the entire cave with a dim light. Teal and Ray were still impressed of the wonderful spectacle they were beholding. It was an oasis, certainly, but inside a cave. Still, they knew it wasn’t time to drool over the enticing nature of this getaway. They walked on through the big lake in the middle…

As they could finally have a wider vision of the oasis in front, Ray noticed someone lying in the lake. It was a very beautiful lass. Probably in her early 20s, this girl had short, red hair, which seemed to be a bit wet. She hung both arms on the rocks that surrounded the pond behind her. It seemed she wore a rather revealing bikini, having just two thin stripes going all the way from her chest up to her neck and small bits that covered her breasts. Ray couldn’t help but look straight at the girl’s big breasts for quite a few seconds. Almost to the verge of drooling, Ray reacted when Teal gave him a small stroke on the side with her right arm. Both friends then walked on, willing to ask a few questions to that girl.

“Excuse me…” said Ray. Almost by instinct, the girl in the lake turned back to the building and said: “Not again, Perr!” but as she found nobody there, she turned to the front. She saw Ray and Teal standing there, and gasped at the sight of Ray’s outfit: blue pants, blue armor-like shirt, orange scarf, yet no helmet. The image went through her head like a sharp knife. It was over… it was all over. She screamed and uttered afterwards: “It’s Cipher! Nett!!”

Ray shook his hands trying to calm the girl down. But she kept on screaming: “Nett! Nett! Come! It’s over! They found us!” The girl even backed off a few steps and came out of the lake. She walked back to the door of the building in front, shaking out of fear, and probably cold. Looking at the girl’s blowout body covered only by the bikini with blue and white stripes she wore, Ray said: “We’re not from Cipher, lady! We’re here to help you out.” The girl just shook her head in denial until the rusty door of the house finally opened.

“Are you positive about this, Marcia?” A very tall guy Ray recognized at once came out of the building. He wore a rather colorful shirt and long, blue pants which had lost colors in a few areas. His hair was short and brown, and his eyes were also brown, showing a rather careless expression. He wore big and funny glasses now, though. It was Nett, former leader of the ONBS, whom Ray had helped escape five months ago, and the same guy that gave him a hacking lesson. Nett looked to the front, while patting Marcia, as Ray waved his hand and said: “Hey Nett. Long time no see!”

Nett adjusted his glasses and he recognized the guy dressed as a Cipher Soldier: he had this blue, short hair, and red eyes that he remembered from a while ago. It was the guy that had helped him escape from the Headquarters. Nett responded as soon as he realized: “Well, if it isn’t Ray!” As he finished, he walked on through the pond’s border. Marcia was rather astonished, and before Nett could go on, she held him from the arm. “You know him? How?” Nett just laughed. “Marcia! He was the guy that helped me escape from the clutches of Cipher! I thought I had told you about him.” Marcia blushed all of a sudden, and bowed down to both Ray and Teal, though unsure if they could see her. “I’m sorry! I didn’t know… but you should wear something else if you’re not from Cipher.” She sighed as she walked down to the pond and dived into it again. Nett then went on and approached Ray and Teal.

“It seems you finally managed to get out yourself, Ray. Good going!” said Nett as he shook Ray’s hand. Nett was on his late 20s, but he seemed to be still cheerful and somewhat childish. Ray smiled, with his other hand frothing his back neck. “Yep… I just thought it was time to do something for Orre. And to help you all out, of course.” Nett nodded and released Ray’s hand as he looked at Teal. “And who is she, Ray?” he asked. “Oh! I’m sorry. She’s Teal, a friend of mine. A former Cipher member too. In fact, I gotta thank you for the hacking lesson. If it wasn’t for that, she wouldn’t have joined me!” Nett adjusted his glasses again and just said, “Why, you’re welcome. The least I could do for you. I’m glad it was helpful!” He then walked toward Teal and extended his hand, as if wanting Teal to shake it. “Hi, Teal.” The green-haired girl extended her right arm, almost unwillingly, and shook Nett’s hand. “Hi Nett. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Nett just smiled at the girl, and kept on shaking her hand. He noticed it wasn’t a regular hand, and started feeling it. Teal felt rather uncomfortable. “Um… you can let go of my hand now, Nett.” The tall guy released Teal’s hand, yet he was still curious about it. “I’m sorry, lass. I just… now wait a minute. How did you manage to find us, Ray? Only Wes knew about our location!”

“Well, Nett… we found Wes in the forest. He had some things to do and gave us his PDA so we could find you,” said Teal. She then handed Wes’ PDA to him, which showed the map he had designed. “Oh, that explains it. Fine… in fact, that’s better than I had planned. Now follow me!” said Nett as both Ray and Teal followed suit and accompanied the tall teenager around the lake. Marcia looked back, while Nett just uttered, “Will you stay there any longer Marcia? Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.” Marcia just denied with her head as she dived down the pond. Nett opened the rusty door of his hideout as he said, “Come in, please.”

Ray and Teal followed Nett through the door, and they found a cluttered space. Loads of boxes and cables stood all over the floor of the house, and a few stairs were to their left. There was a table in the middle, completely filled with papers and boxes. Near it were more stairs going down. A rather delicious smell came out of it. Another room could be seen beyond the table, and Nett walked on, Ray and Teal following him. They crossed the entrance and found a living room with several couches. Unlike the previous room, this one was very tidy and free, with a decorative table in the middle, a big TV in front of it, yet no windows whatsoever.

“Sit down please.” Nett sat in the single couch, while the friends took a seat in the double couch in its right. Nett had a rather pleased expression, for one reason or another. He then started to talk. “So… if you’ve come this far, I must assume you’ve managed to defeat Dakim.” Ray just nodded, causing a very surprising reaction from Nett. “Impressive! I must be crazy, but I seem to be in front of the new Orre heroes!” Teal and Ray blushed in unison as Nett stopped his weird arm-thrusting celebration. “Not only that, Nett. Dakim’s joined us,” Nett almost fell off the couch he was at for the completely surprising statement. “No way! You managed to turn one of Cipher’s Admins against them? I can’t believe it!” Nett was certainly overjoyed, while Teal and Ray just tried to remain calm…

“This is a major achievement! This means that there’s still hope. There surely is.” Ray and Teal limited themselves to nod. Nett was so excited he almost got up from the couch several times. He then calmed down and sat again. “Sorry, guys. It’s just that it’s been so hard the last years… the slightest trace of Cipher’s defeat excites me beyond relief.” Ray then replied: “It’s OK, Nett. I know how hard it is to be against the power. No need to feel sorry about that. Still, we’re very far from victory. But with your help…” all of a sudden, a small Pok&#233;mon jumped through the living room. It was one with a funny, hat-like mushroom on its head. Its face was cute, and its body was that of a fighter of sorts. Its long tail featured a few green spheres, and its feet had two long, red claws and looked powerful. It also had two small arms coming out of its brown-ish body. Unexpectedly, this Breloom was much shorter than the average one, not even nearing Nett’s chest. Breloom jumped through and jumped on Nett, as if hugging him.

“Breloom! Nett is busy. Eh… hi.” A girl came in a few seconds after the Grass Pok&#233;mon did. She wore a long white dress with a few blue flowers drawn on it. She had black, long hair, and black eyes. Her face was cute, and had a soft blush on it. She looked at Ray and Teal while they waved at her. “Hi… I’m Megg. I’m Nett’s sister…” Megg then bowed down with what seemed to be a very big embarrassment and submission. “No need to be so shy, Megg. I know you always go like that when you see cute faces, but they’re younglings. Just come and sit down while we wait for the dinner.” Megg walked on to the biggest couch in the far back of the room, near the one where Ray and Teal were at. She placed her hands on her legs, blushing slightly. Breloom then jumped through the room and went with Megg.

“OK Nett. We came here, willing to help you out, and help ourselves too. Still, I’d like to know your story,” asked Ray, while Nett just lay down on his couch. “Fine then. Well… you must know we used to be the Kid’s Grid 15 years ago. Well… as soon as Wes trumped Cipher, we managed to go out. With the help of Marcia, Duking acceded to fix the Pyrite Building that was once occupied by Miror B, so we could have our own intelligence group. We became certainly famous and acknowledged soon enough, and in a lapse of two years, we became the Orre News Broadcast Syndicate. The ONBS was in charge of transmitting news, while we also gathered information of all sorts. We found out that Cipher was still on business under the command of Verich, ten years ago. With our help, Tom managed to bring down the New Cipher… but we never expected this could happen.”

“Not even with our almost endless sources of information we could notice Cipher building up to resurge again. It was almost immediately. Two years after the New Cipher fell, Miror B invaded our building. We had no other choice but to escape, leaving all our research and hard work back there. Fortunately, I had envisioned this could happen sooner or later, and accordingly, I had set several hideouts all over the Region. We were back into an escapee life. We became the Kid’s Grid all over again. Our first hideout was near the Orre Mountains. The place where Harland hides now, I believe…” Before Nett could continue, Marcia entered the living room, now covered with a black towel. “Is dinner ready, Nett?” Nett just denied with his head. “Fine… I’ll go change. By the way… is this worth reporting, Nett?” The tall guy just said, “No.”

“Come on Nett! I haven’t reported in years!” Nett just shook his head as he said, “Not the time for that, Marcia.” Marcia then left the living room, going then through the stairs near the entrance as she said, “Fine…” Nett sighed and took some air before he went on. “Well… we managed to hide from Cipher for many years. In fact, it wasn’t until five months ago when they finally tracked us down. During that lapse, I managed to extract all sorts of information off Cipher’s HQ itself.” Ray and Teal were astounded at such claim, and were eager to hear more: “How did you do that, Nett?”

“Hey Nett! Can I sleep in the living room tonight?” Another guy appeared in the entrance of the living room. His pants were very long, covering his feet, even. His shirt had lively red stripes and a fancy design. The guy was a bit fat too, and had funny eyes. He wore a round, blue hat with a small cotton sphere on top, much like a winter hat. With a wide smile, he approached Nett, while Megg’s face went even redder, but not out of embarrassment; more due to anger or something of the sort. The fatty guy waved a video tape on his right hand. Nett sighed as his comrade came around. “Don’t tell me you’ve been recording Marcia again, Perr…” The wide Perr denied with the head as he said, “What makes you think I’d do something like that?” Nett just shook his head. “I’ve checked all your tapes, Perr. You do that every week at least…” Perr blushed slightly as he hid the video tape behind him. “Aw, come on Nett!”

“No. Today’s not the day to do whatever you do here. And in case you haven’t noticed, we have visitors!” Nett moved his hand and pointed to Ray and Teal. Perr turned to them and fixed his sight on Teal for quite a while. “They’re Ray and Teal, ex-Cipher members that want to end their reign of terror. Well, he’s Perr. I know he needs no introduction…” Ray waved with a forced smile, while Teal just smiled back at Perr, unwilling to do anything that’d give him ‘ideas’. “Nice to meet you… very nice,” said Perr without moving the sight from Teal. Megg then got up and grabbed Perr by the arm, pulling him to the other room. “Now come, Perr! I want you to help me cleaning the table for dinner!” Teal couldn’t help but giggle silently, while Nett laughed with vigor. “Megg might be a timid girl, but she surely can control our blokey fellow.” Ray then laughed, while Teal joined the pair with a louder chuckle.

“Oh well. Guess we better wait for dinner to finish the story. As you see, many people live here. It’s a bit uncomfortable, especially for the girls, but we’ve learnt to stick together for a very long while. There’s also him… but he rarely comes out of the basement.” A bit wondrous, Ray couldn’t help but ask, “Him? Who?” Nett lay on the couch again, as if thinking carefully, before he said: “Professor Kaminko. Bet you never heard of him…” said Nett as he noticed the clueless expressions on the younglings’ faces. “Kaminko is just a rusty old scientist that makes the weirdest of inventions regarding Pok&#233;mon. He likes it solo, so it’s unusual to see him around. Still, he’s valuable because his gears, while a bit abstract, can be of some use. He was once related to Chobin too…” and so, Ray remembered Harland’s chronicle. Chobin was now a Cipher Admin in charge of the Shadow Pok&#233;mon Factory, AKA Cipher’s Pyramid.

“Dinner’s ready!” cried a kinky male voice in the room nearby. Nett got up as he invited Ray and Teal to do so: “Come. You must be very hungry.” Both friends got up and followed Nett. The room with the table now had a few chairs arranged around the round wooden structure, while the walls and floor were now exceedingly filled of papers and boxes. The table had a big gray cauldron in the middle. A delicious smell came out of it. Perr and Megg were already on their seat, while Nett took one chair near Perr and invited Ray and Teal to sit too. They sat near Megg, and then saw more people coming around. Marcia came down the stairs, almost in a hurry. She now wore tight jeans and a top with blue and white stripes, much like her bikini back in the pond outside. She sat besides Nett, and then, three guys came out of the stairs below.

One was a rather tall guy, also in his late 20s. His hair was short, seemingly spiky and of a brown color. He wore a blue coat and black pants. He took a seat besides Ray as he said: “Who are they, Nett?” he asked, looking confused at Ray and Teal. “They’re visitors… and probably the new heroes of Orre. Oh! He’s Secc, Marcia’s brother and my sidekick.” Secc looked at them with a bit of impression. “Interestin’. Well, welcome!” After Secc, a rather short guy came in, carrying several bowls on his hands. “Make space!” Marcia and Nett moved to a side, and the guy placed the bowls near the cauldron. His funny green cap almost fell off out of the hurry, but he then took a seat near Marcia. “He’s Bitt. My trusty sidekick. Probably the best cooker in the house.” Bitt then took his cap off as a form of salutation. Ray and Teal both said, “Hi.”

After Bitt, a man came out of the basement. He was a very old man, around his late 60s. His hair went up like a long, spiky tower. He wore a funny yellow shirt, and red pants with a few yellow stripes. He also wore a red necktie and had funny glasses. His beard and moustache were short, but stood out alongside his towering hair. “Time to eat, I hope,” he said as he looked at Nett. “Yes it is, Mr. Kaminko. Please take a seat.” Kaminko sat besides Bitt and then fixed his sight on Ray and Teal, or so it seemed. “And they are?” he asked. “They’re Ray and Teal. Ex-Cipher members willing to help us out. Don’t be scared, Kaminko. They’re with us,” said Nett as he noticed Kaminko shaking a bit as he mentioned ‘Cipher’.

After the old man took his seat, Bitt passed bowls for everyone. “Serve yourselves at home,” he said as he passed two bowls to Ray and Teal. The cauldron in the middle had a big spoon that everyone used to serve the dinner, which was some sort of soup with meat and rice. Megg, Marcia and Teal got served first. Then, Kaminko grabbed the spoon, mumbling about how youngsters didn’t respect old people anymore. Afterwards, Ray was asked to serve his own portion. And then, Bitt, Secc, Perr and Nett got their food on their bowl. The cauldron ended up pretty much empty as Bitt handed smaller spoons for everyone. Ray and Teal were certainly hungry. They hadn’t taken anything to their mouth since they escaped from Cipher’s Headquarters. The smell of the soup reached their noses, and they were almost salivating out of hunger. “You shall excuse our manners…” said both Ray and Teal, almost in unison, before they grabbed their spoon and dipped on their bowl as if they hadn’t eaten in ages. The rest of them couldn’t help but watch how the pair finished their respective dinner in a matter of minutes.

“You seem to be very hungry,” said Nett as he took a spoonful of soup to his mouth. Marcia and Megg giggled, and the rest ate their dish without uttering the least of words. Though slightly embarrassed, Ray and Teal waited patiently for everyone else to finish their dinner. The bunch finished almost at the same time, though Perr was the one to finish first. “Nice one as always, Bitt! Wish you had done more, though…” said Perr as he finished. Megg almost asphyxiated at this claim as she was just eating a bit of her food. “You… will never… learn!” she said with struggle, and then drunk a glass of water Bitt had given her in spite of her situation.

After everyone finished eating, Ray and Teal turned to Nett. Nobody got up, though Kaminko wanted to. Still, he felt it’d be rather interesting to hear whatever they were talking about. “Thanks for the food, Nett. You can continue if you may.” Nett just nodded and kept on telling his story: “As I told you before, I managed to get information directly from Cipher’s Headquarters. I’m an expert in the arts of infiltration and disguise. Must-haves if your job is to gather information. I dressed as a Cipher Soldier, and used fake IDs to enter. I was allowed all the time, and I extracted lots of information. Unfortunately, most of it was lost when they found us. They burned our former hideout down, and everyone had to escape. Luckily, Secc helped everyone and they made it to another of various hideout I had set, with as much information and supplies as they could.”

“Miraculously, they weren’t found, despite them being so easy to track now. I found them as Ray helped me escape, and I knew we had to move out. It was almost asking Cipher to find us if we were to stay in our current hideout. I then remembered I had projected a place I hadn’t set up as a hideout, but it was certainly well-hidden. It was this building. I had envisioned a private relaxation resort for all of us when I found this nifty oasis. I just started building it little by little, and never managed to finish it properly. Still, that’d have to do for the time being. We made it here a few weeks after my return, and have been living here since.”

“And how did you get through Dakim and his Soldiers?” asked Ray, a bit wondrous. “Well, we didn’t. As you see, we’re certainly amateurs as far as training goes. The only person with a Pok&#233;mon here is Megg, and she’s not hot stuff…” Megg hissed as her brother remarked that, but she calmed down just like that. “We entered the Agate Forest from behind. An idea only I could come up with,” said Secc, intruding on the current conversation. Nett chuckled and then said: “And that’d be it. As you see, this place isn’t meant to be a hideout, which explains the cluttering and the not aesthetically pleasing add-ons like the basement and everything else. There’s no denying it’s an awesome lair, though.”

Ray and Teal nodded as Nett finished. Everyone else got up from the table and went to the living room. Nett asked Ray and Teal to go there too. Kaminko walked to the next room almost reluctantly. Everyone had taken a seat, but Megg moved as Kaminko entered. She sat next to Perr, almost against her will. Ray and Teal were allowed a seat in the same double couch as before. Kaminko was on a couch of his own, near the one Nett sat at before, and the rest were all in the biggest couch. Nett entered last, holding out several papers on his hands.

“What’s that, Nett?” asked Teal. The tall guy sat as he placed the papers on the middle table, and then picked a few. “This is a few of the information we managed to save. It includes many tidbits that might come in handy. For instance, I have a rundown of every area under Cipher’s control, and even a classification of each Admin. This might help you decide where to go next. And not only that… I have a few gears and outfits that’ll help you out too.”

“Really? Too good.” Nett just limited himself to nod. “Still, I’d like to know a few things. Mainly something regarding you, Teal…” Just like that, everyone turned to her. Teal blushed strongly, and didn’t feel like telling Nett about her right arm. She knew it was about that. “I’m sorry if this is uncomfortable, Teal, but you must cooperate. I’d like to know about your right hand. There’s something unusual in it.” Ray then got up and talked for Teal’s sake: “I know you need to know, Nett, but you can’t force Teal. Her arm brings back awful memories, and is proof of the horrid things Cipher can do to get what they want…”

“Thanks Ray… but I’ll talk. Maybe that’ll help,” said Teal, and Ray just took a seat again. Teal then looked at Nett: “Well Nett, my right arm is artificial. When Cipher destroyed my former hometown, Phenac, my arm ended up completely wounded. Taking this as an advantage, Cipher extirpated it, created an arm that looks almost like a normal one, and enhanced it with Snag technology…” Marcia and Megg gasped, while Kaminko grunted. Nett felt a bit ashamed for this, “I’m sorry, lady. Never thought it was like that. Still, your arm is completely normal.” Teal made a shallow scream at this claim. “But… how?” she asked.

“Well. It’s unusual technology. In fact, I never expected Cipher had access to such machinery. The only add-on Cipher did on your right arm was a special chip that modifies your hand and permits you to perform Snagging actions. It’s activated via a nervous termination. You just think about using a Pok&#233; Ball to Snag a Pok&#233;mon, and the nerves will activate the chip. Besides that, your arm is completely normal. It was cloned from your own self, even.” It was impressive. It just took a bit of feel and a few clarifications for Nett to figure this all out. Teal was astonished. “Really? And you can take it out, Nett?” she asked. She didn’t want to bear with such a mean device anymore, though it had proven useful against Dakim. “Well Teal, I surely can do that. Still, I know the ability of Snagging is just too valuable, both for Cipher and for us, the opposition. Thanks to the Snag Machine, Wes and Tom saved all the Pok&#233;mon Cipher had corrupted. I just know having a Snagger in you will be instrumental in Cipher’s downfall this time around, seeing how you’re the only one able to do so as of now.”

“But…” Teal was unsure about this. She still felt that stealing Pok&#233;mon off others was bad. Ray grabbed her hand while they were sat and talked: “I’ll have to agree with Nett, Teal. If it wasn’t for your Snagging skills, we’d be dead. You saved not only us, but also Dakim and even Entei. Seeing how useful it was, I can’t help but say you’ll have to keep this chip, for as long as Cipher is still out there. It might be morally wrong to steal, but it’s for a bigger benefit. Plus, compared with what Cipher has done so far, Snagging stands as the least heinous of crimes.” Ray set his sight on Teal, and then she understood: it was true. They were on such a tight spot several hours ago. Hadn’t she Snagged Entei off Dakim, they’d all be finished now. Looking at her right hand provoked a deep shame, though. However, as she thought it over, it seemed as if Snagging was the answer. The way to save a few Pok&#233;mon that’d otherwise die under Cipher’s clutches, or even as prey of their own overload of Shadow energy. She closed her fist as she said: “You’re right. I’ll keep it for as long as Cipher stands, and not only that… I’ll save as many Pok&#233;mon as I can, with the best of my ability!”

“Those are awesome news. Thanks, Teal. Orre will be in debt with you when this all ends,” said Nett, with a serious tone unusual on himself. Even Teal and Ray, whom had just been introduced to him, noticed that. Kaminko then let out a deep cough before uttering: “And how do you plan to Snag so many Pok&#233;mon, kid? They’re not just a handful as they were before. They’re several. Heck… it’s harder to find a pure Pok&#233;mon than a Shadow Pok&#233;mon nowadays.” Everyone stood silent with that remark. Kaminko was completely right. Srill, Nett seemed thoughtful. It appeared as if he had some sort of plan.

“Well, Kaminko… I think we have some projects to aid in this task, don’t we? Still, it’ll be up to Teal to accept it. I’m unsure if she’d accede to get implanted even more devices…” said Nett. Teal felt more uncomfortable with every minute passing, but she was still curious: “What do you mean, Nett? I thought you had said this technology was unusual.”

“It’s unusual and hard to come by indeed. However, that doesn’t means I’m not familiar with it. I have access to it, even. But I’ll explain you. One of my most crucial acquisitions from Cipher’s HQ was the diagram for a new Snag method. Cipher dubbed it as “Pok&#233; Ball Transfer Module”. PTM for short. This method involved a much easier mechanism to develop and emulate. In fact, it was the dawn of the modern Snag Machines. What’s it all about? Let’s just put it that way: the PTM allows for faster and more aggressive Snagging. Normal Snags involve battling, and it’s certainly slow and exhausting. The PTM wanted to end all this, and seeing how most Cipher cronies were scrupulous lackey, it was the perfect way to save time and money. Unfortunately, they didn’t count with my skillful hands getting all the schemes and diagrams.” Nett boasted and laughed hard as he said this. He was surely proud of it. The guys and Kaminko looked at him happy, while the girls looked at each other with a stare of humiliation.

“Aggressive Snagging? What do you mean?” Ray was curious about it, but he was a complete newbie with gadgets, as he showed to Teal when he tried to use the PDA. Nett closed his eyes while adjusting his glasses: “It’s very simple. Normally, you’d have to battle and weaken the Pok&#233;mon you wanted to Snag. However, the PTM allows you to grab one Pok&#233; Ball and transfer it to the programmed location. It’d allow aggressive Snagging, obviously. Think about it: instead of engaging in a tiresome Pok&#233;mon battle, you’d just have to disable the Trainer, grab all of his or her Pok&#233; Balls with the Module, and they’d be transported instantly.”

“I see. I think it’d come in handy if I had a buff like Dakim’s. But seeing how I don’t…” said Teal, in a rather sarcastic tone. Nett moved his hands before bringing out another thing: “You wouldn’t have to beat them up yourself. There’s a better way to do so. Kaminko designed a very interesting device, you see?” Kaminko coughed and almost fell off the couch as Nett said that. “What do you mean? I thought all my inventions were utterly useless…”

“Most of them are, indeed. In fact, the lot is hindering. But you made this nifty invention that’d be wonderful when paired with the PTM. It’s your Electromagnet Device. It’d be so good if we could make it portable.” Both Teal and Ray were clueless. In fact, even Megg and Marcia were completely confused about this. Bitt, Perr and Secc were all nodding, though, being the gadget experts they were. Nett continued after Kaminko nodded in approval. “You see guys? We have everything you need. If I can fit Kaminko’s device in a gauntlet, as Cipher does with all their Snag Machines, I know it’ll be very useful in conjunction with the PTM. You can attract a Pok&#233; Ball to your hand, and then transport it here… but it’s all your choice, Teal. I just want to help you out with this task…”

Teal answered fast enough. She had taken the decision of helping with her abilities already: “Of course I will take that, Nett. I just hope it doesn’t make my hand even more cluttered.” Ray smiled at her while Nett laughed. “No problem at all. I doubt you feel your current chip that much anyway. Plus, I made a microchip for that purpose. I’d like you all to come downstairs please…” Nett then walked outside of the living room. Everyone else got up and followed him to the left, where the stairs going down were at. Nett flipped a switch, and the basement illuminated all over. It was a very dusty and old place. The stairs were creaky, and the floor was quite dirty. A small stove was found almost immediately, near the front wall. There was another door nearby, and Nett walked toward it. Everyone followed, and as he opened the door, both Ray and Teal were so astounded they kept their jaws open for quite a while.

“Come in please.” Everyone followed Nett inside. The room was certainly big and shinny. Compared with the untidy room in the back, this one was arousing and white. There were several devices and machines all over it, and many electric things. Several devices hung around, and there was even a chair set up as some sort of bed. There was a long pedestal-like table in the middle of that laboratory of sorts.

“Here. This is my laboratory on electronics. It was meant to be a bathroom, which will explain the shiny atmosphere and that toilet over there.” Teal and Ray beamed at the weirdly set toilet in one far corner. The rest of the former ONBS people just chuckled. “And well… I better set the chip as soon as possible. I’ll just have to do some adjustments. You sit on the bed over there until I’m finished, Teal. I’ll be back in shortly.” Nett walked away to a door further ahead inside the laboratory. Everyone else stood there, while Teal walked to the bed and sat on it.

“I wonder what he’ll do,” she said after she sat on the table. Kaminko overheard and laughed a bit. “Don’t worry, girl. Nett is trustworthy. And believe me… I don’t say that of anyone. Especially when it comes to younglings. Ever since that traitor, Chobin, used me for his obsessive needs and turned his back on me, I don’t trust anyone at all. Nett is different, though. He saved me off Cipher’s HQ, risking his own life and being discovered. He’s also been feeding my face for several years. I owe him everything …”

“I see. By the way, Mr. Kaminko… what did Chobin make you do for him?” Ray was curious, and it could come in handy. Probably even give him a few pointers for when the time of breaking through Cipher’s Pyramid came around. Kaminko coughed, but then uttered: “Chobin used my experience and resources to build mechanic Pok&#233;mon. He made me build 3 machines for him. One resembled Groudon, and is used by Chobin himself as his battling engine of sorts. The other was a metallic Kyogre. I managed to lend that to Tom so he could get to Nickeldark Island ten years ago. Unfortunately, Cipher stole it when they caught me and destroyed my manor. I bet they use it to get supplies off other Regions now. Chobin also wanted me to do some aerodynamic machine modeled after the legendary Rayquaza. That’s when he asked way too much off me. In fact, he betrayed me shortly after I finished the basic build-up of that last mechanic Pok&#233;mon. I don’t know if Cipher got that incomplete skeleton off my house, but I don’t see why they would. You can’t make something like that fly. No matter what you do…”

“Oh, I see. Thanks.” Ray bowed shortly after. The rest of the people were waiting for Nett. Marcia looked very bored out of her mind. Perr was trying to get a glance of Teal, but Megg didn’t allow him to do so. Bitt and Secc were standing besides the wall. A few minutes passed, but Nett came out of that door at last. He was holding something: they were small pincers of sorts. The tool looked as if holding something that couldn’t be seen, since Nett was placing pressure on it.

“I’m done. Now, if you could lay down on the table, Teal?” asked Nett as he took the pincer on his right hand with extra care. It seemed as if he held something very frail, yet invisible with it. As he went to the table, Ray noticed he wore some sort of scopes instead of glasses now. Nett even moved around, as if dizzy, until he made it to Teal’s right side. The girl then fell down on the table slowly. “Good. I’ll need your help, Perr!” As Nett said that, Perr exhibited a quite scary grin on his face. Megg moved aside, much against her will, as Perr went beside Nett, almost running. “Careful! The slightest of mistakes, and I’ll crush the microchip!” Perr calmed down as he said, “Sorry. Now what do you need, Nett?”

“Get a scalpel. I’ll need you to cut Teal’s right hand.” Teal shivered at this claim, but calmed down just as soon. Perr walked back to a big desk with several drawers on it. He opened one and grabbed a sharp scalpel inside. He closed it and went back near Nett. “This might hurt a bit, Teal. Tell me if you want anesthesia…” Teal denied with her head. She had a similar, or even more harmful operation way back then. It was as if finding out the truth brought her back memories she thought she had forgotten about. Almost 8 years ago, her right arm was extirpated and then replaced with the one she had now. Memories came back, and she remembered not having any anesthesia at all. This wouldn’t be even half as harmful as that was…

“Cut through here, Perr…” said Nett. Despite him looking like such a bloke, Perr worked as a professional. With a fast swipe, he cut through Teal’s right hand skillfully. Teal uttered a shallow shriek, but the pain was just for a brief second. “Thanks Perr. Now move out. I’ll do the rest.” Perr did as Nett said, while Teal looked at the brown-haired guy looking through her cut hand with those weird scopes. Nett sweated a bit, but he was quite confident. After a few seconds of looking at the opened hand, and with a swift move, he placed the pincers somewhere inside Teal’s hand. He then checked some more with his scopes, and said, “Done.” As soon as he said that, Teal felt a shiver on her mind, as if someone had sent an order to her brain. “Seam her hand, Perr.” The fatty guy walked on as Nett moved away, and with untapped happiness, he got hold of Teal’s right hand. It took him a few seconds to grab fiber and a needle. He then seamed the cut away. It was quite fast, though it seemed as if Perr wanted to do that for some more time.

“Perr was finally pulled off his trance by Megg, and then Nett looked at Teal, along everyone else. “How do you feel?” Teal felt her hand pretty much the same. “It’s… weird. I don’t feel anything. I just felt a nervous impulse a few minutes ago.” Nett nodded at Teal’s claim and continued. “That’s what you’re supposed to feel. The installation has been successful.” Nett boasted loudly before Marcia smacked him with her bare hand. Nett just rubbed the place where he was hit, and then giggled. “You hate my guts, Marcia? You’ve always been like this, so, no surprise. But try not to scare our guests please.” Teal and Ray laughed, almost unwilling to. Marcia blushed and stood shut.

“And how am I supposed to use this, Nett? Teal asked. She was unsure about it. “It’s very simple. Much like your Snag chip, the PTM chip will activate when you think of using it. It’s connected directly to your nervous system. Just think of using the Pok&#233; Ball Transfer Module, and it’ll activate. Now… time for a test.” Nett pointed to one corner. A shelf was there, and it seemed to be technologically advanced. It had a few sphere-like openings all over it. “Just grab any of your Pok&#233; Balls…” As Nett said that word, Teal and Ray denied. “Sorry, Nett, We didn’t bring any Pok&#233; Ball with us now…”

“Ohh. Then we’ll need your help, Megg. Call your Breloom inside his Pok&#233; Ball.” Megg nodded, and almost immediately, her Breloom jumped inside the laboratory. He was quite cheerful and cuddly. He wanted attention of Megg. “Sorry, Breloom. I’ll get you out in shortly.” Megg got a Pok&#233; Ball out of her dress, and a red beam spouted off it. Breloom looked at it with sadness as he went back into his Pok&#233; Ball. “Good. Now get hold of her Pok&#233; Ball, Teal.” Megg gave the sphere to her, and Teal grabbed it with her right hand. “Now just think of using the PTM.” Teal did that, and just like that, the Pok&#233; Ball she once had in her hand vanished. Everyone else was as astonished as she was. All of a sudden, the Pok&#233; Ball materialized in the shelf on the corner.

“That’s how it works. Amazing, isn’t it? I made this chip long after I designed the way Cipher had envisioned to mass-produce the Module. They wanted to use a gauntlet like the one they use now. It was viable because the PTM uses mostly circuits. Shame for them, though. I stole their model, but it seems they found a way to emulate Snag technology in the same way. Oh well… this Module will prove useful. I know it.”

“And what about that electromagnet, Nett?” asked Ray. Kaminko coughed before Nett continued: “Feel like showing them, Kaminko?” The old guy with the towering hair nodded, and then he went inside the same door Nett had gone to a few moments ago. Kaminko came out shortly after, carrying a weird, tower-like device. The thing was very big and heavy. Kaminko could barely hold it on his arms. He then placed it where Teal had been sat at. It seemed to be very heavy.

“Kaminko made this a while ago. This electromagnet is designed to drag Pok&#233; Balls to it. Show it to our visitors, Kaminko.” The old man just nodded and pressed a button in the side of the heavy gadget. As he did that, every Pok&#233; Ball in the room was immediately attached to the invention’s body. Teal’s backpack, which was filled with Pok&#233; Balls of all sorts, was attracted to it too. It made Teal feel embarrassed, but it was proof that the thing worked well. Kaminko pushed the button again, and Megg’s Pok&#233; Ball fell on the table. Teal’s backpack was released as well.

“Point is… I never worked on this. Much like Kaminko’s other inventions, I doubted it’d be of any use. Ever. Oh well. I’ll work on it for the rest of the day. Even if it takes me all night.” Nett laughed loudly afterwards. He was a guy that loved what he did. Teal smiled, and Ray did so too. The green-haired girl took a glance at Wes’ PDA, and it marked 5:30 PM already. “Well… we better go now, before the Sun sets completely.” Nett tried to stop them. “Why should you leave? You can stay here if you need.” Ray just denied with his head. “No. Thanks for everything. We don’t want to upset your regular life style…”

“But what if Cipher gets into Agate?” said Secc. “Don’t worry. Dakim and his people took care of that already. Plus, we have to see how are our Pok&#233;mon, and how’s Wes and Rui.” Everyone took a while, but nodded afterwards. “OK then.” They all went back to the first floor of the building. They were about to leave, but then Ray remembered. “Oh yeah. Can you lend us those information papers, Nett? We’ll read them at Agate to establish our next target.”

“I was about to suggest that!” said Nett as he rushed inside the living room and came back with his hands bloated on papers. He gave them to Ray, and he put his backpack in front. Ray stored the papers on it, and then placed it back on his backside. “Thanks Nett. For everything. Especially the food. We’ll be in contact.”

“Of course! Wes’ PDA has my number already, and I doubt he’ll use it anymore. But ask him just in case. Remember you’re always welcome here. In fact, I’ll be waiting for you tomorrow morning. Hopefully I’ll have the electromagnet gauntlet done already. I’ll also lend you a few clothing and fake IDs so you’re not easily spotted wherever you go.”

“Thanks Nett. We’ll be here tomorrow. Good luck with the electromagnet. Bye! All of you!” said Ray.

“Bye!” said everyone in the building in unison, as they waved off. “Please come back soon!” said Perr, and Megg gave him a stroke right in the stomach as he said that. Ray and Teal chuckled and crossed the small lake inside the cave. The Sun now projected an orange tone in the getaway. They had to hurry to reach Agate before nighttime. Both friends were rather cheerful, though. They had met helpful allies. And not only that: they were shown a happier side of the coin. Even if they had to hide, Nett and everyone else were happy with what they had, and were still eager to fight for a better life. It was the bond they shared, and the tight friendship between all of them that made this possible.

“You know Teal? I’ll work twice as hard for them. In fact, I’ll come back as often as we can. This could be our secret hideout.” Teal just limited to nod, as both of them got out of the cave, getting into the forest, but not before turning back and have a last glance to the lively light reflected by water inside the grotto. The food and the help Nett and the rest lent them lifted their determination that much more. They felt that with such nice people on their side, Cipher’s fall was just around the corner… and they were willing to fight even harder to give their new friends a better future.

-------------------------------------------------------------

That's it. I enjoyed writing this a lot. And I hope you enjoy reading it as much. Replies are always appreciated. Until next time! :)

guiltysparkzz

25th January 2006, 1:56 AM

Great chapter, can't wait to see what happens next.

On the review standpoint, I can't help but notice your use of the word guy alot over names, and often repeating the same descriptions, such as towering hair, rather than just using the person's name. You could just use the name.

~*Myuu the Ryuu*~

25th January 2006, 2:24 AM

great chapter as always :)

what will happen to suicune and raikou? there are no more time-flutes, and the purifying chamber's bust, so how will they get purified?

will robo-rayquaza have anything to do with the story? (please say yes)

but what about eldes and greevil? will they help Ray and Teal?

PDL

25th January 2006, 2:48 AM

this is quite a very interesting fanfic you have here :D

Srill, Nett seemed thoughtful.

only typo I spotted...

anyway, it was nice to see that Wes managed to survive, barely mind you, but survived nonetheless...

keep up the work!

Deathborn_606

25th January 2006, 10:16 PM

Hmmm a Robo-Rayquaza. That sounds neat. Anyhow it's about time Megg evolved her Shroomish and the Kids Grid will wan't revenge on CIpher but Miror. B escipally. So glad you updated now I'm all ears for their next plan of attack and more shadows!

Sike Saner

27th January 2006, 1:31 AM

Ray couldn’t help but look straight at the girl’s big breasts for quite a few seconds. Almost to the verge of drooling, Ray reacted when Teal gave him a small stroke on the side with her right arm.

:D That was a great, funny moment.

I like to think about the image you presented of the oasis within the cave; it sounded very lovely. And of course, we had Kaminko mentioned - that guy always makes me laugh just by picturing him; he's just so weird looking. XD The thought of Chobin makes me laugh, too, since he was just so silly looking in the game. Cipher Admin Chobin...that's just terrific.

Great work with this chapter, indeed! ^_^

MaskedManAbsolkid

28th January 2006, 2:58 PM

You got yourself yet another fan! I love this story, and you've made me think of the characters more. One thing: I'm guessing the PTM may have side-effects, let's say, someone not having a shadow pokemon, and it working? Or does the Snag Machine prevent that?

Alfonc

28th January 2006, 10:22 PM

Another great Chapter by *Orion*!
I did find some mistakes but it was okay.

I can barely wait for Chapter 9!

Keep it up *Orion*!

Drayano

29th January 2006, 4:01 AM

Good chapter like always. :)

I quite liked the way you portrayed the emotions, but some things in the story seemed a little redundant such as when Kaminko brought in the machine, you pretty much said it was heavy twice. =| I can't find anything else though.

And I have one thing to say.

Chobin's a Cipher Admin?

o_o

ShadowTrainer

31st January 2006, 1:46 AM

Yet i have to agree with every one els.This one seemed to have a lot on info and more up beat to it. I enjoyed it greatly and was a nice break.

Can't really wait to see how all this end up really.

Lovrina addict 4ever!!!!

1st February 2006, 1:54 PM

So, all this chaos is happening in Orre, and Ray is busy admiring a girl's anatomy? Well, every man does it sometime. I do it every day to page 36 of the XD guide... Anyway, I can just imagine it... *goes off to happy place to admire another girl's anatomy* Man, Chobin is evil!!!

Tazzler

1st February 2006, 11:52 PM

I want a chapter dedicated to me!!!!! j/k although it would be nice...

Anyway, great work Orion. Enjoyed reading it. Seems to me teal has a crush on Ray.

mrmimeykai

6th February 2006, 3:09 PM

this story is awesome,
i only signed up to serebii fourums yestreday but i am glad that i did
i think that ui see the next pokemon movie in the making you should contact the pokemon company and publish this

shinneymeowth001

11th February 2006, 6:46 PM

Great chapter! I have no questions. Interesting, Megg's shromish has evolved, and Chobin is evil...Why? We'll intresting they can clone an arm.. they could make a shadow Mewtwo! that would be cool. and the paet with Ray staring at marcia's...you know... that was funny.And Perr makes videos of her?! lucky the law is nothing. well, I'm done. Keep up the good work!

Orion-Sama

12th February 2006, 2:43 AM

OK... I have lots of things to respond to! Must not let that happen again. O__O

I really don't feel like responding to all the replies I've got. I'll just say thanks, and I hope you can keep on reading. You maintain my interest alive, and I'm glad you're enjoying this story. :)

Just a few things, though. I know Greevil and Eldes gave up on Cipher, but there are two big reasons for Greevil to work with Cipher again. Eldes and all of Greevil's people have a major reason to follow Greevil's decission. You'll have to wait to see what's it all about, though...

I'll try to correct my recurrent typos and those mistakes that happen, hehe. I'll also take the suggestions on calling peeps by the names and such.

Also, as for Chobin being evil... no one read the Prologue? Or was it too much to bear? I said that since there. XD. But no worries... he's still as pathetic. Or isn't? ;)

Either way, thanks for the comments! Now... next chapter might take a while still. I'm rather busy, and my current obsessions are keeping me off the PC. Plus, a new project has arisen, and I wanna focus on it a wee bit more, as it'll be actually short enough to be finished. I've also been considering the fact that I'll end up needing a co-writer for this Fic. I so want to finish it all, but as time goes on, I understand I won't be able to do it by myself. I'll let you know when the time comes...

Either way, just be patient. I'll try to get Chapter 9 up as soon as possible. Thanks again! :)

Silent Shadow

23rd February 2006, 12:47 AM

Hey *Orion*, sorry for not replying before but I've been grounded for a month. Anyway, back on topic. I have nothing to say really, since everyone pointed out the typo(s) and mistakes already so I'll just say this: Keep up the good work and take your time, we can wait! As for your co-writer, it's a good idea, but just make sure it's someone you can trust to (example) finish chapter whatever-one-you'll-be-on-by-then! lol Btw, is the mini-description of your fic in my sig okay? If not, what would you like it to say? I have to edit my sig anyway. I guess that's it until next time!

~Shadow~ ;249-d;

atomicmonkey

23rd February 2006, 3:07 AM

Very well written. You plot is very interesting. I can't wait for future episodes. I might suggest that you make a new paragraphy every time a new person speaks. It makes it easier on the reader.

~*Myuu the Ryuu*~

11th March 2006, 1:48 AM

This story keeps on getting better and better :)
but will venus and eldes have the same revelations as dakim?

The Great Butler

11th March 2006, 2:01 AM

This one's really good. Giving Nascour psychic powers was a great idea, it explains his freakish red eyes. (Anyone remember Kirby 64 and that game's final boss? That thing may be the only thing I've ever seen with more freakish eyes than Nascour)

10/10, no getting around it. This is good, dang good.

Orion-Sama

13th March 2006, 5:55 AM

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I'll try to comment when I can.

At long last, Chapter 9 is done. With this delay, I've come to realize I probably need a co-writer, so... PM me if interested. I'll let you know the details.

As of now, come and read...

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Chapter 9.
Sorting out. The next mission.

With the help of Wes’ PDA, Ray and Teal made it to Agate Village right when the Sun was giving off its last beams of light. They went inside the cave as soon as they reached the forest shrine. The pair walked a bit and entered through the rusty door crossing the bridge. Dakim was there, alongside his five children. They all surrounded a spot on his room. Dakim looked back and saw Ray and Teal. The big man stood up and walked toward them.

“Glad to see you’re back. How did it go?”

“It was alright. Nett and the others were very nice with us. They’ll help us even more when the time comes. And we’ll be able to use their getaway as hideout too.” Ray sounded rather happy. Both of them were still quite cheerful. But they were there to find out how were their Pokémon. “Now Dakim… how are our Pokémon?” asked Teal.

“Come here, please.” Ray and Teal followed Dakim to where his children were gathered. Flaria and Naze made space so the friends could see. They saw their Pokémon lying on the floor. Wigglytuff, Bellossom, Jynx, Electabuzz, Marowak, Manectric, Medicham and Gengar looked fine. Their wounds were pretty much gone, and they were just resting up. It was unusual to see a Shadow Pokémon in such a calm state. Four of them were missing, though.

“Where’s the rest, Dakim?” asked Ray. Dakim’s expression suddenly changed to show a bit of sadness and concern. Closing his eyes out of shame, he pointed to one corner of his room, where four beds were now arranged. “They’re over there…” Ray and Teal walked to see, and found their other four Pokémon. However, they weren’t fine. Magmar had several bandages around his stomach and his face, all drenched in blood. It also seemed as if he didn’t even breathe. Rapidash was covered with gauze in both her back and her face, and she was completely motionless. Starmie’s gem gave a faint glow from time to time, though it was pretty much destroyed. Its lost appendage was half back, but was still recovering. Dragonite had his neck bandaged and bleeding as well. His body also bestowed severe burns, result of the Shadow attacks, which caused deep black spots all over him. He was also motionless.

“They look so bad…” said Teal, almost to the point of crying. “ I’m very sorry… it was all my fault.” Dakim felt a deep shame. Because of his actions, those four Pokémon were suffering badly. “It wasn’t your fault, Dakim. You couldn’t control your actions. And you’re helping us now… don’t feel responsible for this.” With this, Ray tried to comfort Dakim.

“I know. It’s just that I can’t help but feel bad for your Pokémon and yourselves…” Ray and Teal smiled back at Dakim, showing that there were no hard feelings. “We appreciate what you do, Dakim. Still… when will they be fit?” asked Ray. They still had somewhere to strike tomorrow.

“I’m sorry, but they won’t be able to battle tomorrow. They’ll be fit in two more days, though.” This was distressing. Having only four Pokémon each would be much hindering to their objectives.

“I know this is discouraging, but I know of some places that’ll be easy for you, even with only four Pokémon each.” Dakim’s words injected a bit of faith in Ray and Teal. They were still worried about their Pokémon’s state, but they had to go on. Having one day off wasn’t an option in any way.

“We’ll have to cope up with this. As of now, we’ll look at the info Nett provided us to take a final decision on the place we’ll go to tomorrow. Thanks Dakim. Please take care of the rest.” Dakim nodded, and then he remembered something. “Oh! I almost forgot. I had to give you something after you defeated me…” The gigantic Dakim got his right hand inside his white pants’ pocket. He got out a fairly small red gem from it, and extended his open palm to Ray. “A ruby? What’s it for, Dakim?”

“Well… you’ll need this to enter the Realgam Tower. Nascour has taken a few extra cautions with that facility, above all others. Us Admins can’t get inside unless all of us go at the same time. It takes ten gems to open Realgam’s gate. Each Admin keeps one.” Ray and Teal heard this with a surprise. It seemed as if Realgam Tower hid more than everyone imagined. After all, if Nascour was eager to protect it from his very own Soldiers and even Admins, it meant it wasn’t just his luxurious palace…

Ray grabbed the ruby and stored it in his backpack. All of a sudden, this whole feat became not only a Pokémon, but also a gem hunt. “Thanks Dakim. We’ll do our best to get the other nine gems.” Dakim looked at them with happiness, and then he turned back to attend the wounded Pokémon, when Teal came up with a question: “Oh yeah! Is there anywhere we can sleep tonight, Dakim?”

Though a bit startled by the surprising question, Dakim turned back before he said, “Why, yes. If you didn’t notice, all the houses of the village remain completely intact. All we did was set them up as barracks. You must be used to that kind of life already. You can go to any house.”

“Thanks Dakim. Good night!” said Teal. Dakim just said a silent, “The same to you,” and then turned back to the four beds where the Pokémon lay. Then, Teal went out alongside Ray. They crossed the small cave and got out. They then went up the hill and found a rusty building almost immediately. It had a brown, big Poké Ball on top, and the letters “P.C.” in one side. The door was blue, and opened as they came close to it. Likewise, the lights of the place turned on as soon as the door opened. The place was rather tidy, and there were about four beds arranged through the only room of the facility. Ray was used to this kind of place already. His old room at Cipher’s Underground Headquarters was very similar to this house, but way messier. Teal sighed, but took a seat in one of the beds, while Ray did the same. Both of them got rid of their backpacks, dumping them on the floor of the place.

“This looks to be a nice place, Teal. You like it?” asked Ray. She didn’t seem to be very pleased with this, though.

“Kind of. I’d rather be in my room at Cipher’s HQ, though. But I guess that’s not an option anymore.” She giggled as she finished. Other than missing the luxurious life she used to lead, Teal was rather fine. Though still concerned about all that would come as their feat advanced, she always felt that the few peaceful moments were to be honed. As Teal lay on her bed for a short while, Ray opened his backpack and got out the papers and folders Nett had given to him.

There were six folders with many papers inside them. All of them were labeled with a different mark. The first one said Shadow Pokémon Factory. The next one said Gateon Port. The rest were labeled as Pyrite Town, Phenac City, Eclo Prison and Snagem Base, and Mt. Battle. Ray immediately noticed the lack of a few of Cipher’s spots, such as Realgam Tower and Opal City. Still, he was pleased with what they had so far. “Let’s check this out.”

Ray opened the first folder, which had a handful of sheets maintained together with a staple. He read the first page…

Shadow Pokémon Factory

Location: Northernmost side of Eclo Canyon. Close to Mt. Battle.

Popularly referred to as Cipher’s Pyramid for its shape when seen from the outside, this high-tech factory is where Shadow Pokémon are mass-produced. Heavily guarded and filled with workers all over, it’s said that this factory can create about 100 or more Shadow Pokémon per month. They’re then distributed among Cipher Soldiers. Rumors say that a big amount of them are transported to other Regions, where Cipher is starting to establish as well. The innards of the facility and the method used for the production are still unknown. Chobin is the Admin in charge of the Factory, whom is protected by several Soldiers and Aldos: one of Deathgold’s most trusted bodyguards.

“I think that’s not a good idea, given the current situation. What do you think, Teal?”

“I’m with you, Ray. Plus, it seems it’s heavily protected as is. Let’s look at the next one…” Teal grabbed the next folder, and read the first paper in front.

Gateon Port

Location: The far northwest coast of Orre.

Gateon is used by the organization as a way to get supplies and transport Soldiers and Snaggers to other Regions. The entire place is cold and dark, since a thick barrier of black ice covers the port. Lovelina is the Admin in charge of Gateon. With that in consideration, Cipher has issued several guards to aid her with the protection of the port, alongside Lovelina’s own group of fanboys. Lovelina is regarded as the weakest Cipher Admin. No one knows how the port looks like from inside since the black glacier covered it completely…

“Um… I think that’d be a good choice. Let’s place it somewhere.” Teal put the folder in another bed near her. Ray then took the next folder. “This is Pyrite’s. Let’s check it out…”

Pyrite Town

Location: The southwest of Orre.

The ruthless town of Pyrite was an important spot for the opposition. With Cipher in charge now, this town is almost forgotten. Pyrite hasn’t changed much since the day it was taken. The only major change was the build of a massive skyscraper where the building of the disbanded ONBS used to be. The fruity Miror B. is the Admin in charge of the town. He allows crime and misdeeds all along. Aided by several Trainers and Soldiers, Miror B. is also a network Tycoon, in charge of the only TV channel in Orre. Duking, Silva, Sherles, Johnson and Cail haven’t been seen since Cipher took over. As for the ONBS group… we managed to escape. Of course.

Ray couldn’t help but chuckle at the last comment. He then uttered: “Pyrite would be a good idea. I bet Duking and the others are being held hostages by Miror B.”

“Maybe. I agree with you, though. I even told you we should go to Pyrite first. Let’s place it as an option.”

Ray placed the folder on top of the Gateon Port one, almost reluctantly. It was his hometown, yet he hadn’t set foot on it for quite a few years.

“Oh well… take the next folder, Teal.” The girl did, and stood speechless for a while. As Teal read the “Phenac City” label, she felt very sad.

“What’s wrong, Teal?” asked Ray.

“Oh… it’s nothing. I’ll begin.”

Phenac City

Location: South of Orre.

Phenac City was entirely destroyed, symbolizing Cipher’s triumphant comeback. The city hasn’t been rebuilt since that day, and no one can be found around. Cipher’s been rather careless with the ruins of that once-prosperous Metropolis. Venus took command of that city and her very own manor was built where the Mayor’s house used to be. Phenac is a much unprotected spot only held up by Venus and her own Bodyguards. Still, the ruins are surrounded by a thin black vapor, and the water flowing through the few ducts that are left seems to be black, murky…

Teal remained silent after reading it. Ray then understood her attitude: “I’m sorry, Teal. I should’ve read it instead.”

“… Don’t worry. It seems it’d be a good choice too…” She then placed the folder where the other ones were.

“OK. Next up is… Eclo Prison.” Ray took the folder and opened it. He then read the paper inside.

Eclo Prison and Snagem Base

Location: Easternmost edge of Eclo Canyon.

Besides the Shadow Pokémon Factory, Eclo Canyon is the location of other two facilities taken by Cipher. One is the Eclo Prison. A famous high-security building, where the most dangerous of criminals were held at. It was the place where Evice and Nascour were jailed a few years ago. With Cipher under control, several thieves and ruffians were released and added to Cipher’s army. Now this place is heavily guarded and is used to keep the potential Cipher opposition at line. Tom, his family and the crew of the now-destroyed HQ Lab are all supposed to be jailed there. The other facility in the easternmost side of the canyon is the Snagem Base. Now rebuilt to its former glory, this place is used both as an auxiliary base and a center for training new Snaggers for Cipher. Both facilities are being held by Gonzap. Former Snagem Leader, this strong, reckless individual holds both facilities as an invaluable treasure, issuing guards on both. This is regarded as one of the most dangerous places of the entire Region.

“We’d get several allies if we were to go there…” said Ray with a rather insecure tone in his voice, trying to point out the only good thing about going to those spots.

“Get serious, Ray. I’ll tell you myself that’s not a good idea at all going there now. Especially if we have only four Pokémon each. We can’t risk another difficult time right now. Let’s keep that at line from now on…”

“OK, Teal. I’m sorry if I acted a bit too careless when I decided to come here first. I’ll follow your advice from now on.”

“It’s OK, Ray. Actually, I’m glad we came here first. You were right all along. But let’s go on. The last folder is Mt. Battle…” Teal took it and read the first page.

Mt. Battle

Location: The northern side of Orre.

This once-renowned training spot was taken by Cipher and transformed into a complex dedicated to bring the newest Cipher recruits and train them as Soldiers. Taking advantage of the tiles set around the volcano, the security is tight and reckless. It takes more than 99 battles to get to the top of Mt. Battle, where a giant complex has been built. It’s said that even more battles await inside the complex, which is the place where the new recruits are trained. Control of the location belongs to Gorigan. A rough and primitive-looking wrench. It’s said he’s very violent and trains every newcomer mercilessly. Another fact is that the volcano where the facility is built spews black blazes from time to time.

“That’s ditched right away. I doubt we’ll be able to go through more than 99 battles with only eight Pokémon. And then we’d have even more trouble inside…” Teal grouped this folder with the other ones they had ditched. Ray limited himself to nod in approval. It was crazy. Even more so than taking Dakim first…

Ray and Teal turned to the bed where they had placed the folders referring to their possible next destinations. “It’s time to decide…” said Ray in a rather serious tone, unusual in himself. Teal let out an almost silent giggle, and then looked at the 3 folders. “How will we take the decision?”

Ray thought for a while, but then thought of the main factors for the decision: “I think it should be a combination of difficulty, allies we’d get and the impact it’d make in Cipher. What do you say?” Teal just nodded, and then both of them sat in one bed, just looking at the three options they had narrowed. Ray felt that he shouldn’t make Teal feel bad any longer, and said: “I think Phenac should be scratched off.”

Teal stood silent, and said with difficulty: “… Why?” Ray then told her his reasons. “Well… I admit it’d be an easy break-in. But in the end, we won’t get any ally at all. I doubt Venus will betray Cipher as well. We were just VERY lucky Dakim wasn’t with Cipher by his own free will. She has Suicune as well, and Cipher probably transformed it into a Shadow Pokémon like Entei: black, violent and reckless.” Teal didn’t feel like pushing the discussion, but she had something to say: “But it’d have the biggest impact on Cipher. Without Phenac… their biggest action would be meaningless, and allies would flow all over…” Ray then moved his head in denial. “I know what you mean, but it’ll be also meaningless for Cipher. As Nett’s brief said, they’ve been very careless about it. Plus, they have many places to depend on. Not to mention full control over most of Orre. Taking an almost abandoned place will prove useless. Also, Venus is probably much better than Dakim. I know you want to go there, but we must strengthen our cause. Else, we’ll be defeated in a glimpse.”

Teal didn’t say anything. Ray made sense, but she wanted to go to Phenac. To find out about the past she didn’t remember. Still, he was right: it was better to focus on their feat for now. Her personal desires should come later. Teal nodded as she said: “OK, Ray… ditch it. I’m sorry… it’s just…” Ray patted Teal in the shoulder, causing her to blush slightly. “I understand how you feel, Teal. I promise we’ll go to Phenac as soon as we assure that our small resistance won’t fall apart in one swipe from Cipher.” Teal looked at him, and just nodded. “Thanks, Ray.”

“You’re welcome, Teal. OK… how about Gateon Port?” asked Ray. Teal then said: “I don’t think so. We’d stop Cipher’s transport to other Regions, and we’d open Orre for help as well, but we’d get any ally either. Orre has never been in good terms with any other Region, which renders the possible help they could lend to us completely useless. Plus, it said it was heavily guarded by both Cipher Soldiers and Lovelina’s fanboys. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lovelina possessed a Pokémon similar to Entei either…”

“I bet you’re right. That just leaves us with one option: Pyrite. I guess that’s the best one. I doubt it’s that hard, and we’d get several allies. I’m almost positive they have Duking and the rest as hostages. The impact wouldn’t be much, but that’ll come later as we advance. So… Pyrite it is.” Teal nodded as she added: “Told you so.” Ray blushed slightly, remembering it was his idea to risk too much by coming to Agate first, and that Teal had suggested Pyrite as the first point of attack.

“OK then. Let’s see if there’s any more information about Pyrite.” Ray checked the folder, which had several sheets stapled on besides the first one, which served as mere introduction. The rest of the papers had strange graphics and lots of text as well. Nett surely had quite the bunch of information at his disposal.

“Well… we better get informed on what awaits us tomorrow.” Ray went into the second sheet of the bunch, which said…

ORGANIZATION

Unlike most other locations under Cipher’s control, Pyrite is still an accurate sight of what it used to be before the evil group took it over. As it’s been a custom of sorts over the years, thieves and thugs are a common sight. Normal people still keep their living places, even. However, since Cipher took the city by force, the honest folk have to deal with thievery and misdeeds on a daily basis. Another fact is that the Police force, as well as Duking, Silva, and Cail, all have vanished from the town’s face, and are nowhere to be seen.

The town still looks the same for the most part, save for two big changes. First is the remodeling of the Pyrite Colosseum, which got maintenance after several years. Along it, the rudimentary windmill has been transformed into a modern energy station that uses an unknown mineral as energy source. This new station provides electricity to the entire town.

The other big change took part in the former building of the now-disbanded Orre Network, or ONBS. Atop the facility, several floors were added one after another, to end up becoming a 20-floor colossus. This building is the broadcasting central of the only channel in the Region: MBN. Short for Miror B. Network, this dull association transmits mediocre shows starred by Miror B and his cronies. Despite that fact, the building is better known as the Pyrite Skyscraper among the locals.

The Admin in charge of Pyrite Town is obviously Miror B. He’s a tall man with a big Afro that resembles a Poké Ball. He’s a big fan of all sorts of dance, an even bigger fan of TV, and is rather… fruity (For lack of a better term.). Despite his fairly laughable attire, Miror B. is an expert of sorts, though he’s often regarded as the second weakest among Cipher. He’s also into Pokémon Battles, and will issue a personal invitation to a live MBN transmission to any Soldier or Snagger that proves to be outstanding. It’s said that his choices are vastly dependant in Duel Square showdowns.

“Interesting. What else is here?” Ray took a look at the paper that followed the previous one.

TRAINERS

Most scoundrels walking around the town’s streets are likely Trainers working for Cipher. In spite of that, their skill is below par, and any half-decent Trainer can finish them with a single Pokémon. Then we have the five Trainers found in the Duel Square. Much better than the bunch, this group will battle anyone that dares to step inside the square. The Pyrite Colosseum is used for an annual Tournament between the Pyrite Soldiers and Trainers.

Few is known about the Soldiers inside the Skyscraper, or if there’s any at all. It is assumed that, while Miror B.’s closest henchmen, Folly and Trudly, are more into filming TV shows than battling, they still can come out to protect their boss. One can also expect at least a handful of Soldiers working for one of Cipher’s Admins. Nothing is certain, though.

According to our intelligence reports, most Trainers in town have well-balanced Teams, though it’s assumed many of them lean to the preferences of Miror B. himself. The Afro Admin is fond of Pokémon with good rhythm and musical abilities. His signature Pokémon is either Ludicolo and/or Sudowoodo.

Ray found this all to be very useful information. As it stood, they had a fairly high rate of success, even with only four Pokémon each. “It seems it won’t be as hard as Agate, don’t you think, Teal?” She just nodded in approval and said as she finished: “I agree. Still, we can’t be overconfident. We’ll have to give it our all.”

“Of course! Don’t worry about that. We’ll just have to do our best, and they won’t stand a chance!” Ray smiled, as did Teal. They were rather satisfied, but they were aware of one fact: there was still a lot to do. The recovery of Agate was a good beginning, though. There was still another concern.

As Teal waved her short green hair and lay on her bed, she felt like asking something to Ray: “There’s something we have to consider. Kimu misled the Rogue Soldier and told him that Dakim had got us. With that in mind… we should hide.”

“Now that you say it, yes. I almost forgot about it. But remember what Nett said? He infiltrated the Underground HQ himself. He must have a few clothing so we can go through as nameless Soldier and Snagger. With his expertise, I also expect he’ll have a couple of fake Ids ready for us.” He smirked as he finished. Teal thought about it, and it was true. Nett had said something along those lines. It was all settled.

“That’s right. OK then… we’ll go back to Nett’s place tomorrow. He said he’d have the Electromagnet ready as well.” Ray nodded, and then he lay on his bed. Both were awfully tired, though they were in a quite cheerful mood. The pain they had experienced when battling Kimu had been forgotten as well. They thought they should keep the red scarves on their arms right where they were, though. They were thinking about so many things, but they felt it was more important to be ready for their next day of action.

“You know, Teal? Thanks for the support. I knew you would come with me all along.”

“Well… I recall you had your doubts at first. And I also apologize… for what Cipher did. They fooled you, and made you work for them. It wasn’t until two days ago that you found out the truth, and-”

“Thanks to you, I realized. I’ll tell you one thing, Ray. While finding out the truth was heartbreaking for me, it also made me open my eyes. To be honest, I was willing to help and further Cipher’s ambitions if that meant I’d see my parents again. But they hid the truth off me for the longest time. And for that, I have mixed feelings. But one thing is certain… I’ll do everything in my hands to help you all.”

“Teal… this is so nice of you. You’re more strong-willed than I’ll ever hope to be. All I did were measly attempts. Instead, you took actions right away.”

“No. You give me the strength to go on. I had everything, but I left it… because… you showed me the way. And we earned this first victory by working together.”

“Sweet dreams…” And as Ray flipped the nearby switch, the lights turned off…

***

“If Dakim’s Body claimed that they were getting their punishment, then that’s the truth. Dakim won’t betray me… and that’s final.” The Rogue Soldier was flabbergasted. Nascour was way too confident in Dakim’s word, to the point he wouldn’t hear his point of view. He wasn’t eager to take the conversation any further, though. “OK, Master… sorry for my stubbornness.”

“No need to apologize. It just puzzles me how can this meaningless rebellion trouble you so much. I mean… Teal is a threat. There’s no denying it. Her skills as a Snagger and the fact she’s the only one that had the Snag Chip experiment tested on makes her difficult to deal with. But Ray is just an apprentice. I doubt he’ll be any trouble. And as you see, Dakim got them. If he used Entei, I doubt they’re alive anymore, even…” Nascour let out a rather sinister laugh afterwards, his white hair waving above his head, shining with the light of the full moon atop the sky, which radiance filtered through Realgam’s window. Two Soldiers stood besides Nascour’s chair. Both wore a luxurious purple suit, similar to those most Soldiers used. Their scarf was white with red stripes running through it, and they exuded a rather scary aura, much like Nascour himself. The crimson outfit of the Rogue Soldier glittered a bit as well, showered by the neon illumination of the deluxe room of Nascour. “Now, go. You need some rest… don’t be so agitated. Those fools will eventually fall…”

The Rogue Soldier left Nascour’s room, albeit reluctantly. It was as if he wasn’t worried about the situation. He couldn’t spit out the truth, though. If Nascour knew that Ray’s official rank was just a punishment, and that he was actually completely fit to be an Elite Soldier, the blame would be his and he’d be the one getting the bitter end of the stick. He had to take actions, though. But still… he was unsure about the truth. Maybe Kimu was right and Dakim was giving them what they deserved. He resolved to wait for a few more days and see what happened. Back into the dark barracks underground, the Rogue Soldier walked back to his room…

Nascour wasn’t that laid back, however. He had a small, yet troubling itch. Maybe Dakim had gathered the courage to betray him at last. Maybe the Rogue Soldier’s suspicions were the right thing. He had to know more of his enemies if he was to find that out, though. “… Nasir, Cori, I’ll need your help.” The purple Soldiers that stood by his side turned to their Master.

“Tell us, Nascour,” said the one standing in Nascour’s right. Somewhat taller than the other, he had a rather grave, manly voice. Surrounded with mystery and despise, his voice was similar to that of Nascour himself, albeit slightly younger. As both Soldiers looked at him, Nascour added: “I want you to run a research on both Ray and Teal. I need more information about the perpetrators of this so-called opposition. Gather as much as you can.”

“On our way,” said the Soldier in Nascour’s left. By the tone of voice, it could be assumed that Soldier was a woman. She had a very deep, mysterious voice as well, and was slightly shorter than the other soldier. As she finished bowing to Nascour, both of them walked on to the room’s exit. Nascour turned his chair to the window behind him. He looked at Orre, showered by the moonlight. It was almost laughable to think two sad escapees would be able to bring his empire down. Not that he worried much anyway. His domain expanded more with every day passing. His operatives in Kanto, Johto and Hoenn were running smoothly as he thought about it. Cipher wasn’t just in Orre anymore, and he smirked at the thought. Plus, if anything went wrong, he had his secret weapon waiting…

***

The Sun was almost unseen in the depths of the Agate Forest. Ray and Teal walked through the same path they took yesterday, all rested up and ready for everything. They still were tired, and they didn’t utter any word until they reached Nett and Co.’s getaway. The small pond standing below the rusty building glimmered with the morning sun caress. Ray and Teal walked on to the facility, and Ray knocked the old iron door in front. The door opened with a rather loud squeak, to reveal Megg with messy hair and a funny pajama dress. It seemed she had just waked up. “Oh… it’s you two. Come on in please,” she said, almost to the point of yawning.

Ray and Teal went inside, following Megg and her sluggish steps. Marcia, Bitt and Secc were all sat in the table of the eating room, which was filled with boxes and papers. Much like it was before they made dinner yesterday. “Good morning! You’re on early,” said Secc. Unlike Megg, all three guys that were around the table were tidy and up.

“Nett worked all night on the Electromagnet gauntlet. He did finish it, but he was too tired to remain awake until you came. He gave it to me, though. He also asked us to give you anything you could need.” Marcia then got up and walked toward the living room. Ray and Teal followed her and saw the TV turned on. In the couch with three seats lay Perr, watching what seemed to be a commercial with some weird guy bestowing a rather small afro, dancing and drinking soda. Though certainly awake, he was as messy as Megg, what with his brown hair all greasy and messed, and his funny pants with weird drawings.

“Oh! Hi there. You couldn’t stand not seeing me any longer, eh?” said Perr, looking at Teal with deep brown eyes. She just fixed the sight somewhere else, while Perr ogled her.

“Ah… why can’t you be tame for a few minutes?” uttered Megg as she walked through the living room, her pace becoming much faster than before, just like that. I a swift move, she turned the TV off, which caused Perr to almost jump off the couch. “Hey! I was watching that!”

“How can you like that sad excuse of a channel, Perr?” said Secc with a rather sarcastic tone. Marcia, Bitt and even Teal laughed at that remark.

“Sad excuse? The programs are brilliant!”

“Yeah sure. Well… do whatever you want. Just stop making Teal uncomfortable.” Megg turned the TV on again, and Perr focused his sight on the gadget, making an effort to avert Teal’s gaze… or body.

“OK, now that it’s been settled… where were you taking us?” asked Ray. Secc walked on behind the TV, and Ray noticed a door he hadn’t seen there yesterday. It didn’t help it was painted with the same color as the wall. Perr stood there, watching TV. Bitt stood in the living room as well. The rest went into the room, which was a bit cluttered and dark.

“Umph… sorry. Here it is.” Secc flipped the light switch, and a faint bulb turned on. The room was a rather small hall, which had several outfits hanging in tubes. Ray and Teal distinguished them as Cipher uniforms right away. It seemed like they were of all sizes and colors. For both Snaggers and Soldiers. As they noticed the room had a bit more space, they moved along, getting out of their initial cluttering.

“I feel like apologizing with you, Teal. Perr can be such a jerk at times…” said Megg with her head down. Teal just said, “Don’t worry about that. Never dealt with someone like him before, but it’s OK.”

Ray laughed fast as he asked, “I wonder how you can stand him, ladies.” Marcia and Megg both lowered their heads, while Secc looked at them. Megg then said, “We truly don’t mind. He’s had a hard time with all this going on…”

“How so?” Teal felt a bit curious about this, though it seemed as if they weren’t eager to talk about this. Marcia sighed, but then went on. “Well… Perr suffered the biggest loss among us. It was eight years ago. The day Cipher took Gateon Port, his former living place, Perr managed to escape. However, it was with a cost. Cipher had marked Perr and his grandpa, Makan, as a menace for their plans. They broke into their junk shop back there.”

“But gramps foresaw this. He told Perr to escape through the back of the shop while… while he distracted them. Though unwilling to, Perr did as Makan said, and just before he opened the back door… he heard a gun being shot, and a loud thud in the floor. Aware of what just had happened, and with tears starting to flow, Perr went on and escaped without being noticed…” added Megg, with a rather sad tone on her voice.

“Perr managed to find the hideout we had retreated to when Pyrite was taken… he was completely devastated. He stood sat in the ground, without talking to anyone… drowned in depression. We tried to make him come back to senses for the longest time, but it didn’t work. It as almost hopeless…”

“For a while, we thought he’d never get over it. But then, Nett and I worked harder for him. We had been friends for the longest time. Our parents died when we were mere children, about 16 years ago. Makan and Perr helped us when that happened. We owed him so much, but we also owed a lot to his… our grandpa,” said Megg.

Marcia talked again, with a not-so-sad tone anymore: “Megg was so worried about Perr she started cooking for him. Almost like magic, Perr started eating, after what seemed to be weeks. In fact, it was as if Megg’s dishes were the only thing to make him react. He slowly regained his wind… and he won something else as well. Many things, if I may say!”

“Perr used to be quite skinny and tall. He ate my food… compulsively. But it made him so happy… it was the only way out of his depression. I was happy for him, though he ate too much. By the time he got over gramps’ death, he had won this fatty bulk he has today. Not that it was bad… he’s still the same old Perr. Just a bit…” Megg was blushing strongly as she talked about this.

Marcia walked toward Megg, and as she posed one of her arms in Megg’s shoulder, she moved the other arm suggestively, as if asking Megg to go on: “Just a bit what, Megg? I remember those days. It was your food, and your food only which got him off the sad trance he was at! Not even Bitt’s food, which is, arguably, much better than yours, managed to do so. But I bet it wasn’t just the food!” Marcia winked at Megg, whom was as red as a tomato. She then shook off, as if wanting Marcia to stop.

“What are you talking about? I just did it because we’re friends. Good old friends. Nothing else!”

“Yeah sure. Your mood lifted up as soon as he got off his depression. And even when he returned to be the same old, perverted and funny, yet fatty Perr, you became more… how’s it… fond of him, didn’t you? I mean, only you can control his tendencies, and he’s never angry with you!”

“Not at all! And if we’re into this, I could say the same about you and my brother… or will you deny it?” All of a sudden, Marcia blushed slightly.

“Your… bro… brother? Nett? Don’t make me laugh!”

“You blushed as well. There! You always talk after meal. Whenever he’s out of the PC, he’s with you. He’s also the only guy that doesn’t gets a smack in the face when he’s outside and you’re taking a dip in the lake! Also… you were always into guys. Remember how you broke Cameran’s heart eight years ago? And your crush on Silva before you found out the disturbing truth? And seeing the group we’re with now, I know you’re crushing on my bro! I mean, Secc here is your brother. Bitt doesn’t seem to be into women at all. Perr… well… I doubt you like him at all. And there’s also Kaminko, but he’s a crazy old rascal.”

“Shut up, Megg! It’s not… it’s not… that… at all! I can’t say the same about you and Perr, though!” Marcia laughed, trying to lower her own blush, while Megg’s face was still red, but she laughed as well. Ray and Teal stood there, certainly amused. They felt a bit of sympathy toward Perr now, and the also found out that the two girls had… interests in certain comrades. As the girls got out of their conversation, they became aware of one fact: Secc, Teal and Ray were in the same room. Both turned even redder as they realized they had heard it all.

Secc was laughing, with both girls lowering their heads in total embarrassment. “Is that so? Megg? Sis? Good stuff! But don’t worry… your secret is safe with me…” Secc was grabbed by both Megg and Marcia from the neck. He was sweating, yet couldn’t resist laughing. “I… promise I’ll… stay shut… promise!”

Megg and Marcia let go of him, as both said, almost in unison: “OK! And you better stay true to it!” Secc nodded, an unusual fear adorning his expression. He tried to calm down, and just like that, he continued the tale: “Perr is good to have around. He might be a lazy bloke, but that’s mainly because there’s not much to do anymore. Something that will change soon. He’s very dedicated, even. As soon as he got over his grandpa’s death, he worked very hard under Nett’s watching. He’s truly an expert with mechanics, machinery and circuits. A talent inherited from Makan, definitely. He puts Kaminko to sheer shame. He’s got no creativity, though. A parasite? Not at all. You just saw what he’s able of, Teal!”

Teal remembered how Perr skillfully cut her right hand with the scalpel yesterday. It was pretty much painless and so swift it was very impressive. “He’s not bad at all, I must admit. He just needs some… manners.” Teal then giggled. After a brief moment of silence, Secc recalled something. “Ohh yes! We almost forgot why we entered here. Well… this is our wardrobe. We have all sorts of outfits here. And as you can see… we have a big variety of Cipher uniforms as well.” Secc smirked with satisfaction at this claim. Teal and Ray limited themselves to nod.

“We could use those. With the proper disguise, we’ll go through unrecognized. You have some that could fit us?” asked Ray.

“Why wouldn’t we? We’ve been working our souls to the point of death! We’ve never lost hopes. We knew the day would come when the chance of trumping Cipher was a reality. With that in mind, we’ve prepared all sorts of stuff. The info Nett gave you yesterday, the implants he’s been working on and those uniforms are proof of it. We’re well-prepared, and the time has come. I’ll get you good suits. Hang in there.”

Secc went into the various outfits, which hung on long tubes. For a while, he was nowhere to be seen, but it just took a minute for him to come back out. He came with a bunch of clothes resting on both his arms. They seemed to be yellow, red, gray and other colors. On top of the garments were a big, yellow helmet and a weird black headband thing. Ray and Teal just smirked as they saw the uniforms they were used to.

“Here it is. I went with a different color for your suit, Ray. This way, they won’t be able to identify you as easily. I just went with the woman’s Snagem style for you, Teal. We’ll get a few accessories so your face and head is covered.” Ray and Teal nodded, and then Secc left the clothes on the floor.

“OK now. I’ll go outside. Who wants to dress first?”

“You go first, Teal. See you in a while.” Ray waved fast and then followed Secc outside the long wardrobe. Teal just looked down at the clothes on the floor, while Megg and Marcia both stood with her. As Ray and Secc went out, they went to the living room. Perr was watching the TV still, but he was cleaning his nose as if he had just suffered of some fast flu.

“What took you so long? And what were you doing? I went into a sneezing fever, for crying out loud!” said Perr as he dumped the paper he used to clean his nose. Secc and Ray just smiled at him, trying to contain a laugh. They took a seat in the other couch.

“Oh… it was nothing, Perr. Just a brief ‘get-to-know-each-other’.” Perr just nodded at Secc’s claim, and then the thought of it struck. After all, he had done something in the vicinity Megg or Marcia ever dressed inside that wardrobe.

“Teal is getting dressed, am I right?” almost by instinct, he got up and walked toward the semi-hidden door behind the TV. However, he couldn’t find the small hole he had drilled into the door a while ago. “What the hell?”

“You’re such a pervert, Perr! Nett and Bitt covered that peeking hole long ago. They knew you had drilled it on, and they also knew you had… less than moral intentions on doing so.” Secc laughed with energy as he finished, while Perr returned to his seat, looking certainly disappointed.

“And please turn that crap off. I wonder how can you enjoy such awful shows…” said Secc, looking at the TV, where two pathetic guys with funny hats were acting along and having almost funny situations happening to them.

“Awful shows? How can you NOT like them? They’re awesome. Just look at that! “The misadventures of Folly and Trudly”! An assured laugh every time you watch it!” Perr then laughed like a spoiled kid as Folly walked below a stair in the street, and a can of red paint falling down dyed him completely red.

“This is just the lowest level of entertainment, Perr. It’s ironic, even. We’re against Cipher, but you watch their channel. AND enjoy it.” Secc laughed again, while Perr just looked him with a funny mix of anger and sympathy.

“And you just watch it to record all chapters of “Hot Orre”! You sure drool over Ferma and Reath, you pig!” A rather red Megg came out of the room behind the TV, with Marcia behind, whom giggled silently. Behind them came Teal, dressed in a very simple uniform. She wore a gray top and a red jacket, paired with tight, black pants and black boots. She also wore a black gauntlet in her left arm. At her head’s sides, a black headband of sorts finished the outfit. Teal felt uncomfortable, because she really hated this uniform back in the days, but there was no other choice. Ray looked at her with a rather astounded expression.

“You look good, Teal,” he said. Teal just smiled and went to seat to the couch he was at. “ Thanks Ray, though this really isn’t my style.”

“Seems like it. Well… my turn.” Ray got up and went toward the wardrobe door.

“You need my help, Ray? Asked Secc.

“No, thanks. I’ll be out in a while.” He then opened the door and went inside, closing as he went. Marcia and Megg went to the couch where Perr was. Almost against their will, they sat beside him. A sinister, almost inaudible laugh spouted out of him.

“Oh. Seems you’re ready, Teal!” said Bitt, whom had just entered the living room. He carried a brown gauntlet with both of his arms. “I was meant to give this to you. It’s the electromagnet. I’ll show you how it works.”

Bitt walked through the living room, bordering the middle table, and stood in front of Teal. He then extended the gauntlet and pointed to a small button in it. “See this button here? You just have to push it while extending your hand to the nearest Poké Ball. The device will fly toward your hand. Then, you just have to think of using the PTM and the Ball will be teleported to our getaway. The electromagnet turns off automatically as soon as the gauntlet grabs a Poké Ball, so no worries!”

“I see. Thanks Bitt.” He then handed the gauntlet to Teal, whom fitted it in her right arm. It was similar to her other one. Just brown. As she finished, Ray came out of the wardrobe. He now wore a yellow, armor-like outfit, with black pants and yellow boots. His scarf was now white, and he held the helmet with his hands. Marcia and Megg looked at him, quite amused. Yellow looked good on Ray, as it combined with his blue hair.

“You look so good! Cipher must be at a loss if such a handsome Soldier escaped.” Marcia giggled after her claim, and Teal got up. She was about to utter a remark, but she didn’t want Ray to find out she fancied him.

“Thanks guys. We better get rolling.” Secc then got up.

“That’s right! Wait up please.” Secc walked outside the living room, and it sounded as if he went upstairs. In a few minutes, he was back; carrying a red hat similar to the one Perr was wearing yesterday, and black glasses.

“You should put those on, Teal.” Teal got up and grabbed them. She fitted both right away. With the hat and the glasses, her face was pretty much unrecognizable. Only a few ends of her green hair fell down the black headband behind her head.

“That’ll do. The helmet of the Soldier outfit will be enough for me.” Ray then went to the exit of the living room alongside Teal.

“Oh yes. Take those as well.” Secc gave Ray and Teal a fake ID card. They had weird names, and the people in the picture wore the helmet and black glasses, reminiscent of themselves.

“OK We leave now. Thanks a lot. All of you.”

“Oh! Remember to thank Nett for us when he wakes up. Bye!” said Teal. Secc just said, “Of course! Good luck!” and then both friends left. Ray fitted the helmet, as he got out, a bit reluctant. He hated to wear the helmet, but it was needed this time. They closed the getaway’s entrance behind them, and crossed the small cave.

***

“You look good,” said Kimu as he arranged a few potions and medicines for Ray and Teal. His luxurious room glimmered with the fire spouting out of the four torches around. He then gave a bag filled with goods to Ray.

“Your skills are formidable. You won’t have much trouble, if any. Just don’t get over-confident just because you trumped Dakim!”

“We won’t, Kimu.”

“By the way, are your arms fine now?” asked Kimu.

“Yes. They felt very well in the morning. We left your scarves in the barracks labeled with P.C. outside. You can get them back if you want.”

“No problem. I’m just glad it worked. I apologize. It was such a dirty trick from my part…”

“Don’t worry, Kimu. It wasn’t intentionally.” Ray and Teal smiled back at him, though a small worry still itched them. “Please take care of Magmar and the others, Kimu.”

“Of course we will. They’ll be fine soon.”

“Thanks. We must go now. See you later!”

“Good luck!” and with those words, they left Kimu’s room. Almost in a hurry, they got out of the cave, went up the small hill, and walked through the village’s entrance bridge. Teal’s motorcycle was left untouched, somehow.

“Here we go. Ready to go, Ray?”

“Of course! You drive our way, Teal.”

“Right on! You just wait, Miror B.!” Teal turned the engine on, and in a few seconds, the motorcycle ignited. Driving at a fast speed, they quickly left the green area of Agate, and they got into the desert of Orre. Pyrite was just an hour away…

-------------------------------------------------------------

I wanted to write a bit of Teal dressing up inside the wardrobe as much as you would've liked to read it, but I scrapped it off. ;) Wanted to hurry. It's been WAY too long. I apologize...

Replies are always appreciated. Until next time! :)

PDL

13th March 2006, 4:48 PM

well well, Miror B's back in Cipher, and has his own TV station to... this would prove to be interesting...

the bit about Megg and Marcia aruging over crushes was pretty funny... but what's Silva's disturbing secret about?

and we only know about 6 places cipher has a stronghold over (seven if you count Agate village)

will we hear about the other ones as well? such as Ein's shadow pokemon lab?

Sike Saner

13th March 2006, 9:06 PM

Ah! Ah! Miror B. on the horizon! FWEEEEEEEEEEEE! ^________^

...I'll admit it; crummy programming and all, I do rather wish I could get MBN. XPPPPP

And Perr was making me laugh there....what a perv. XD

guiltysparkzz

13th March 2006, 10:40 PM

Perr...makes...me..LOL.

Awesome chapter, can't wait till the next one. Good job with character development and the little crush rant was just ROFLworthy.

Also, the Ray and Teal thing..JUST TELL HER ALREADY LOL :P

The Great Butler

14th March 2006, 12:52 AM

Miror B, stayiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin' alive! Ahaha! I can't wait to see what programming he puts on his station, but one can assume Saturday Night Fever will be a regular feature. Ha!

Another excellent chapter.

Deathborn_606

15th March 2006, 10:57 PM

Aaah Perr drooling over Ferma and Reath I remember them but didn't think they would be in this fic. Knew they we're heading to Pryite next but still wondering what shadow pokemon Miror. B will use and if Trudly and Folly still battle. This is going to be quite good Orion!

shinneymeowth001

16th March 2006, 2:41 AM

Well, I have nothing good to say. Great chapter. Who knew that a complex life led Perr to obbesity and pervertness (if it is a word). The fight the two girls had was enjoyable. Mirror B TV.... I'm scared. I wonder what Nascor's secret wepon is.... Shadow Super cone? well they cloned teals arm, so they could clone a super pokemon.

Orion-Sama

17th March 2006, 4:31 AM

Thanks for the replies, everyone! I better get my assgear on and respond to those few replies while I can. ^^

well well, Miror B's back in Cipher, and has his own TV station to... this would prove to be interesting...

the bit about Megg and Marcia aruging over crushes was pretty funny... but what's Silva's disturbing secret about?

and we only know about 6 places cipher has a stronghold over (seven if you count Agate village)

will we hear about the other ones as well? such as Ein's shadow pokemon lab?
I always felt Miror B. was one guy that would find the glamorous job of having a TV Station much enjoyable. We had the ONBS in Pyrite. I just summed 1 + 1. :D

Glad you liked the crush bit. I spent lots of time planning it, and I'm glad it turned out well. As for Silva's secret... played XD already? It's easy to figure out if you did. :D

As for Cipher's territories... of course. As you see, they lost most of the info they had secured when Cipher took over Pyrite, and there are some places that remain elussive. But the territories were all mentioned in the Prologue. A fast summary: Orre Colosseum, Citadark Isle, Opal City (The city built parting from the Shadow Pokémon Lab. The Lab's still operational.), Underground Headquarters (The place of the beginning.), Realgam Tower and the other 6 territories. The Under was indeed buried, but it's still used as the entrance to the HQ. ^^

Ah! Ah! Miror B. on the horizon! FWEEEEEEEEEEEE! ^________^

...I'll admit it; crummy programming and all, I do rather wish I could get MBN. XPPPPP

And Perr was making me laugh there....what a perv. XD
I knew you'd be very happy after knowing their next destination. ^^

As for MBN, just remember that Secc and the rest are very angry because they were kicked out. They're a bit biased, actually. MBN would be like those overly popular channels like MTV or Fox. Rather meh-ish, but loved by the pop culture, and such. Perr is funny indeed. And he'll have more monets later on. :D

Perr...makes...me..LOL.

Awesome chapter, can't wait till the next one. Good job with character development and the little crush rant was just ROFLworthy.

Also, the Ray and Teal thing..JUST TELL HER ALREADY LOL :P
What would be of a Fic without a few funny moments? And what would be of a fic of mine without a blazing perv? :D I'm glad I managed to make you laugh. As for Teal's evident crush on Ray... hehe. You'll have to wait. A LONG time. XD.

Miror B, stayiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin' alive! Ahaha! I can't wait to see what programming he puts on his station, but one can assume Saturday Night Fever will be a regular feature. Ha!

Another excellent chapter.
Thanks... I felt it a bit too lackey and too little too late, but it came out decently. As for the shows... most likely. :D

BTW, I'll try to review your Fic as soon as possible. So busy. @__@

Aaah Perr drooling over Ferma and Reath I remember them but didn't think they would be in this fic. Knew they we're heading to Pryite next but still wondering what shadow pokemon Miror. B will use and if Trudly and Folly still battle. This is going to be quite good Orion!
Yep. All Miror B. Peons will be back. And a few other surprises. As for his Shadow Pokémon... they all are Shadow Pokémon, like most Pokémon in Orre. But there's a special one. Much like Entei was for Dakim. ;)

Well, I have nothing good to say. Great chapter. Who knew that a complex life led Perr to obbesity and pervertness (if it is a word). The fight the two girls had was enjoyable. Mirror B TV.... I'm scared. I wonder what Nascor's secret wepon is.... Shadow Super cone? well they cloned teals arm, so they could clone a super pokemon.
Haha. Perr was a perv ever since XD. As if the name wasn't enough. Glad you liked the chat between Megg and Marcia. Seems most did. :D lol. Don't be scared. They're just innocent, funny shows. XD.

As for Nascour's secret weapon... you probably know it very well. :)

OK peeps. I seem to be in a big slump. It's one of those low times. It was a year ago that I had resolved to leave writing for good, and it still irks me right now. Those months are ALWAYS my lowest points in writing. Been happening for 3 years by now. :(

Chapter 10 is on the making, but again... this is a low point. I won't be writing much, if at all. Sorry... it's just me. ;__;

I also noticed a worrying shortage on replies. Guess I need to put a Banner up...

Banner's are always useful like the one you had at the beginning Orion. And if you decide to continue with the banner's might I recommend that you should put the most recent important shadow or something like you did Entei.

And as for the writing thing now I see why you really need a co-writer at this point SO IF YOU GUYS ARE READING AND HaVEN'T TOLD ORION IF YOU WAN'T TO BE A CO-WRITER LIKE I ASKED HIM IF I COULD THEN I THINK HE WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU DID. COme on guys FOR ORION!!!!

PDL

17th March 2006, 5:15 AM

Glad you liked the crush bit. I spent lots of time planning it, and I'm glad it turned out well. As for Silva's secret... played XD already? It's easy to figure out if you did. :D

to be honest, at the time of replying to it, I didn't reach that far in the game, but when I did I was like "OH SNAP!" O_O

XD

The Great Butler

17th March 2006, 11:29 PM

Glad you liked the crush bit. I spent lots of time planning it, and I'm glad it turned out well. As for Silva's secret... played XD already? It's easy to figure out if you did.

I know! But since it's important, I'll Spoiler tag it:

Silva is actually the Queen of Sweden, the one 'Dancing Queen' was written about. He is also a female Plusle disguised as a human and married to Miror B.----hence 'DancingQueenShipping.'

Thanks... I felt it a bit too lackey and too little too late, but it came out decently. As for the shows... most likely.

One must have a decent diet of John Travolta, bad 70's fashion, and disco music to live a fufilling life. ;)

Yep. All Miror B. Peons will be back. And a few other surprises. As for his Shadow Pokémon... they all are Shadow Pokémon, like most Pokémon in Orre. But there's a special one. Much like Entei was for Dakim.

OMG Shadow Plusle! Nicknamed Silva, perhaps?!?! :D

As for Nascour's secret weapon... you probably know it very well.

Cipher Boss Nascour sent out..............

SILVA!!! :D

Not really. Maybe it's the final boss from Kirby 64 I mentioned earlier....with attacks that include blowing green gas out of its tail. *rimshot* (But I'm not making that up--it really did do that)

Lovrina addict 4ever!!!!

18th March 2006, 1:58 AM

Must... Be... One... Of... Lovrina's... Fanboys... No, really, you should see what I can do to Lovrina when I'm bored o_O Either that or my room. Or my Wallpaper for my laptop. That's how obsessed I am. I'm so obsessed, my mom thinks I have pornographic pics of Lovrina.

Bling King

18th March 2006, 7:39 AM

I'll just take a guess and say that Silva was Snattle. The hair color is a stretch, but it's the same dang it.

Good story, but you could just touch up on the grammar somewhat.

Lance's #1 Fan!

18th March 2006, 6:21 PM

Hey, all! I would really like to be Orion's Co-Writer!! I don't know if I deserve this privelege, but I read a lot, write a lot, and I think I'd be a darn good one! Anyway, I also have a great idea for this story: Give Eldes Latias, and Aldos Latios!! They match so well. Well, anyway, get back to me, anybody!!

guiltysparkzz

19th March 2006, 5:03 PM

You'll have to wait. A LONG time. XD.

Pure evil I say! XD

Orion-Sama

28th March 2006, 4:30 AM

Okies. I'm replying to replies again, seeing how Chapter 10 is in a slump, and seeing how those helpful accesses to PC/Laptop are long-gone for reasons beyond my control. :(

Banner's are always useful like the one you had at the beginning Orion. And if you decide to continue with the banner's might I recommend that you should put the most recent important shadow or something like you did Entei.

And as for the writing thing now I see why you really need a co-writer at this point SO IF YOU GUYS ARE READING AND HaVEN'T TOLD ORION IF YOU WAN'T TO BE A CO-WRITER LIKE I ASKED HIM IF I COULD THEN I THINK HE WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU DID. COme on guys FOR ORION!!!!

I just made a Banner with my custom Cipher symbol. It's saddening to see that the BEST Team didn't have a symbol. I think mine suffices, though it could be better. It's staying unless someone does a better one for me. :p

Now... thanks for worrying. But I'll be honest: I'm not keen of the idea at all. It'd be a HUGE help and I know I should, but I really don't want to. I just can't feel easy seeing how I let others do the hard job, but mostly, how my Fic could easily lose my touch. I'll be considering it, but I really don't want to...

I know! But since it's important, I'll Spoiler tag it:

Silva is actually the Queen of Sweden, the one 'Dancing Queen' was written about. He is also a female Plusle disguised as a human and married to Miror B.----hence 'DancingQueenShipping.'

OMG Shadow Plusle! Nicknamed Silva, perhaps?!?! :D

Cipher Boss Nascour sent out..............

SILVA!!! :D

Not really. Maybe it's the final boss from Kirby 64 I mentioned earlier....with attacks that include blowing green gas out of its tail. *rimshot* (But I'm not making that up--it really did do that)
You sure have... interesting ideas. XDD. I can't say if any of those will be true. In fact, that secret weapon puts the real thing to shame. Seriously. I better keep sanity. As much as I can. :p

to be honest, at the time of replying to it, I didn't reach that far in the game, but when I did I was like "OH SNAP!" O_O
I knew it'd be startling when you found it out. XDD.

Must... Be... One... Of... Lovrina's... Fanboys... No, really, you should see what I can do to Lovrina when I'm bored o_O Either that or my room. Or my Wallpaper for my laptop. That's how obsessed I am. I'm so obsessed, my mom thinks I have pornographic pics of Lovrina.
XDD. I get what you mean. The same happens with me when it comes to Whitney. Though my room isn't Whitney-themed. In that, you have me beat. :o

As for being one of Lovrina's fanboys... you probably will. 'Nuff said. ;)

I'll just take a guess and say that Silva was Snattle. The hair color is a stretch, but it's the same dang it.

Good story, but you could just touch up on the grammar somewhat.
Now THAT is scary. I feel that I won't have a good night tonight. :p

And thanks. Though it'd help if you could point out my mistakes. I'm a big grammar sucker, and having the thing spouting to me is very helpful. Too bad mr_pikachu at TPM doesn't reviews my Fic anymore... =/

Hey, all! I would really like to be Orion's Co-Writer!! I don't know if I deserve this privelege, but I read a lot, write a lot, and I think I'd be a darn good one! Anyway, I also have a great idea for this story: Give Eldes Latias, and Aldos Latios!! They match so well. Well, anyway, get back to me, anybody!!
Again, thanks for the support. But as I said, I'm not keen on the idea, per se. I'll probably end up recurring to it unless I can write efficiently again, though. Just wait. I'll let you know, if ever.

As for the idea... would like to. But I can't have any more Legends. Especially those. Technically, it'd be chaos if Cipher had those under their control...

Pure evil I say! XD
Don't like to be evil. :( Still, can't help it. ;)

OK peeps. I'll just let you know one thing: I've decided to screw continuity and stubborness. I'm changing all the XD names to their proper americanizations. One gets used to them. And I want to make it so people know who I'm talking about when it comes to this. In short...

Tom is now Michael, as it should be.
Lovelina->Lovrina
Wazzle->Snattle
Aldos->Ardos (Not much of a change, but oh well.)
Deathgold->Greevil
Nickeldark Island->Citadark Isle

There's ONLY one exception, though. The Shadow Pokémon Factory will remain as is. Cipher Key Lair is a GODAWFUL name! No way in hell I'm using that. Plus, it was referred as Shadow Pokémon Factory by most people, so there'll be no problem.

I'll also correct my mistakes with some Shadow Attacks in the first few chapters. Remember that some are actually made-up and not a mistake, though. I'll be correcting my typos and mistakes as well.

Just a heads-up. Will be editing as I can. As for Chapter 10... I'll do my best. But I don't ensure anything. Again, I'm sorry. But don't be sad. March is almost over. In April, I start to recover my wind. Plus, seeing how I've scrapped my planned project, I'll fully dedicate to this Fic from now on.

Thanks for your continued support. I'll work harder. Just for all you, my loyal readers. See you around! :)

guiltysparkzz

28th March 2006, 10:42 PM

Yes, thank you! That was bothering me

Lance's #1 Fan!

30th March 2006, 3:28 AM

Great that you got back to us, Orion! Knew you would!! Anyway, I wasn't too fussed over that idea, so to heck with it. Though I do agree with ya -- too much Legendaries would make Cipher all but unstoppable! But I do have an even greater idea -- if you would like to hear it, you can contact me -- as can anybody -- at pokemonhotzone@charter.net, something I may have forgotten to add in my rush to get to ya! Anyway, death to Cipher! Long live Orion!!

Scizor King

1st April 2006, 2:54 AM

I decided to review this fic and let me tell you . . . IT ROCKS! It really is great to find somebody else who loves playing Colosseum and Gale of Darkness. Me think Miror B. cool. Me think Miror B. have XDragonite

Drayano

2nd April 2006, 12:43 PM

Now I did read this chapter but I forgot to review. X3

Anyways, I quite like the idea of the Miror. B TV Station, this should be interesting, I can almost imagine a scene where Trudly and Folly are acting when Ray and Teal charge through and knock them over into the cameras. :P

Looking forward to Chapter 10.

Lance's #1 Fan!

6th April 2006, 4:48 PM

Are you ever going to have Lance appear in the stories? Just thought I'd ask; he is my number one favorite!! Maybe you should also have Team Rocket merge with Cipher! Not saying ya should or anything, just thought I'd mention it! Giovanni could be, like, the newest Admin. And, what, are Wes and Rui MARRIED or something?!?! And, is Robo-Groudon or Robo-Kyogre going to play a part?!?! Anyway, get back to me!! Lots of love for those who keep this site going! Lance's #1 Fan!

Current team in FireRed:
;006; ;026; ;034; ;242; ;106; ;141;

Cursed

7th April 2006, 1:36 AM

I like to print fanfics for when I don't have access to my laptop, and with proper formatting, Uprise of Cipher is 124 pages long!!!

Deathborn_606

7th April 2006, 3:24 AM

I like to print fanfics for when I don't have access to my laptop, and with proper formatting, Uprise of Cipher is 124 pages long!!!

Wow that shows that Orion is more of a impressive writer than I thought.

Cursed

7th April 2006, 3:53 AM

My printer is still printing and has had 20 paper jams.

Lance's #1 Fan!

10th April 2006, 3:53 PM

I'm making my own story. It's called Tolkana! Long story made short: Kanjia FreeStar (from the Planet Noname) has to fight off Lord Rellik's Battle Droids, tangle with swamp monsters, save Homain Village, and bring peace back to his new homeworld! It is going to be cut into three series, and have five books total in them. I may need some help, so anybody wanting to be my co-writer certainly can. You know, to supply new ideas, help with grammar, spelling, etc. I will not reply to anybody unless they contact me at pokemonhotzone@charter.net! Well, that's it! All the best! Death to Cipher!

Deathborn_606

16th April 2006, 2:27 AM

I'm making my own story. It's called Tolkana! Long story made short: Kanjia FreeStar (from the Planet Noname) has to fight off Lord Rellik's Battle Droids, tangle with swamp monsters, save Homain Village, and bring peace back to his new homeworld! It is going to be cut into three series, and have five books total in them. I may need some help, so anybody wanting to be my co-writer certainly can. You know, to supply new ideas, help with grammar, spelling, etc. I will not reply to anybody unless they contact me at pokemonhotzone@charter.net! Well, that's it! All the best! Death to Cipher!

Is that even meant to be said in this thread. For you could just PM Orion.

PDL

17th April 2006, 12:27 AM

that's too bad, it was a very awesome fic :(

but if it can't be helped, it can't be helped...

great job on what you did do though :)

Deathborn_606

17th April 2006, 12:42 AM

{WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!} Well i'm sad but it makes some sense. Even though from what I read this was a pretty good fic in the works Orion.

And yeah considering I thin kthsi is this fic's end you can tell me the summary and the little tidbits.

The Great Butler

17th April 2006, 1:01 AM

Oh..........

This is sad, very sad. What a great fic this was.

I've got an idea. How's about you give me and some other writers here the basic plot for the rest of it, then we can pull together and complete it as a team.

Morpher01

17th April 2006, 1:10 AM

I've got an idea. How's about you give me and some other writers here the basic plot for the rest of it, then we can pull together and complete it as a team.

Good idea. I'll join in, too. I loved this fic as much as all of you, and I want to help complete it. Hey, I'm an author, but not as good as some people here (such as Typhlogirl, ~*Commander Blizzard*~, Sike Saner, etc.), but I can do some stuff.

...boy, that sounded sucky.

Deathborn_606

17th April 2006, 1:15 AM

I've got an idea. How's about you give me and some other writers here the basic plot for the rest of it, then we can pull together and complete it as a team.

Nice idea Great Bulter. I may not look much like a writer but I have wrote before on fanfiction.net

The Great Butler

17th April 2006, 1:18 AM

Good, good. My plan is once we've got enough writers on our team, we divvy up the parts of the story from the plotline provided to us by *Orion* and work to finish it all up.

Deathborn_606

17th April 2006, 1:19 AM

Good, good. My plan is once we've got enough writers on our team, we divvy up the parts of the story from the plotline provided to us by *Orion* and work to finish it all up.

Good for we got now Morpher01, The Great Bulter and myself.

guiltysparkzz

17th April 2006, 5:28 PM

In short... I retire "The Uprise of Cipher".

*sadness*

Well, I'd love to see the summary.

Cursed

18th April 2006, 3:14 AM

Sorry people. There's something I must tell you...

Today I've realized that, due to the pressuers of life, time, and my many renewing hobbies, plus the growing lack of inspiration and Writer's block, it's impossible for me to finish any Fan Fic that exceeds 30 chapters. It's been a hard decision, but it's been taken, as my Sig implies.

In short... I retire "The Uprise of Cipher". Not only I lack the inspiration to keep it going anymore, but I also lack the time. Fact is... I feel like ditching writing altogether. Then again, I'm deppressed right now, which means I might be eager to write up some more in the future. But as for too long projects, like this one... their future is uncertain.

I'm sorry. Deeply sorry. But I just can't keep it going anymore. I just can't get the gist of it, and it's unfair to keep you all waiting when the story is still very far from finished. And I better let you know now that I can, as opposed to keep it going and then make it stop without warning...

There's not much else to say, but thanks. I'm happy to see that people enjoyed the story and that you continued to support me through those first ten chapters. And I bet you would've continued reading had I gone farther in it. You're all great people and I'll never forget it. If I ever write again, I'll be willing to see you again... :)

Now, I'm eager to do something for all of you, because it's wrong to leave you like this. If most are willing to see how this story continued, please post and let me know. The least I can do for you is to write up a summary of the entire story, and even fill you up on some tidbits that were to be touched upon some chapters in the near and far future. So... let me know if you want to see what would have happened. Luckily, I always plan the entire plot before starting a story, which means that I can tell you everything.

Again, I'm sorry. It's selfish of me to just do this, and I really feel miserable for doing so... but it can't be helped anymore. I'll write the summary if you all want. And even then, that's way too few to compensate for all the support you gave to me. There are no more words... just gratitude.

So... let me know if you want the summary. If not... I'll understand.

Thanks for your attention...

AAAUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

I feel depressed. Everything goes wrong for me. This fic was my inspiration. Reading that post felt like swimming in acid. I guess it's over. Cipher wasn't brought down by a trainer this time, but from the lack of an author.

Deathborn_606

18th April 2006, 3:29 AM

AAAUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

I feel depressed. Everything goes wrong for me. This fic was my inspiration. Reading that post felt like swimming in acid. I guess it's over. Cipher wasn't brought down by a trainer this time, but from the lack of an author.

No if The Great Bulter's plan goes, then him, me and Morpher01 will continue this fic.

Regifire

18th April 2006, 3:51 AM

Orion was a great author, even if it was his/her 1st fic, I hope the story continues, keep up the great work! I hope the Cipher boss is someone unexpected, like in Colo, so no one jumps to immediate conclusions

Scizor King

19th April 2006, 1:24 AM

In short, I am sad to see this fic go. It truely is hard to find stories like this. Would you care to give me the summary?

Deathborn_606

19th April 2006, 1:42 AM

In short, I am sad to see this fic go. It truely is hard to find stories like this. Would you care to give me the summary?

Umm this fic might not know. You see The great Bulter has a plan that would allow me, him, Morpher01 and anyone else who wants to be in this plan that would continue this fic. But I don't know if Orion knows about this plan.

The Great Butler

19th April 2006, 2:00 AM

I'm posting this on the quick, but yes, I have spoken with Orion and he is pleased with our efforts.

Deathborn_606

19th April 2006, 2:02 AM

I'm posting this on the quick, but yes, I have spoken with Orion and he is pleased with our efforts.

So is the plan a go The Great Bulter?

The Great Butler

20th April 2006, 1:25 AM

At the moment yes. All I need is one last little detail (which Pokémon Ray and Teal carry that are Shadows) and I can go to work on the Pyrite Town chapter.

Deathborn_606

20th April 2006, 1:31 AM

At the moment yes. All I need is one last little detail (which Pokémon Ray and Teal carry that are Shadows) and I can go to work on the Pyrite Town chapter.

I must apologize. What with having to work on The Return of Shadow and with many other commitments, I got myself in over my head with volunteering to write this. I can't do it.

I'd love to see it completed, so I wish you guys luck.

Deathborn_606

22nd April 2006, 7:48 PM

I'll work on the next chapter then. Anybody else that wants to work on this, PM me and we'll work it out.

Deathborn_606

22nd April 2006, 9:09 PM

{deleted Chapter}

The Great Butler

23rd April 2006, 12:27 AM

You do need a little improvement on the grammar, but otherwise you've done pretty well for your first shot at it. I personally would've made all of Pyrite one big chapter instead of dividing it up, but that's just my style.

The fake names were a hoot. Very clever. I also liked how you described the fate of the numerous buildings in Pyrite after Cipher's takeover.

You did well, and I'm looking especially forward to Ray and Teal's encounter with Miror B. If you don't mind, may I write his lines when you get to it? I'm a big fan of him and I think I could write him well.

Deathborn_606

23rd April 2006, 12:31 AM

Just forget this post people. Had a problem.

Deathborn_606

23rd April 2006, 12:36 AM

You do need a little improvement on the grammar, but otherwise you've done pretty well for your first shot at it. I personally would've made all of Pyrite one big chapter instead of dividing it up, but that's just my style.

Remember how Orion divided up Agate. I'm following his idea

The fake names were a hoot. Very clever. I also liked how you described the fate of the numerous buildings in Pyrite after Cipher's takeover.

Well the names weren't really hard to come up. Glad you liked them.

You did well, and I'm looking especially forward to Ray and Teal's encounter with Miror B. If you don't mind, may I write his lines when you get to it? I'm a big fan of him and I think I could write him well.

Sure

All right people. Next chapter. To get to the collosseum challenge they ahve to beat the 5 Cipher Sodliers in the duel square. And they won't be easy. PLus what surprises await our heroes in the collosseum.

Slim_878

23rd April 2006, 12:37 AM

hey, I didn't know you had a fic. This is awesome!

Deathborn_606

23rd April 2006, 12:39 AM

hey, I didn't know you had a fic. This is awesome!

Thank you. But this was started by Orion who quit this fic. So me and the Great Bulter will be workign on it. Glad you liked this chapter.

The Great Butler

23rd April 2006, 12:41 AM

Thank you. But this was started by Orion who quit this fic. So me and the Great Bulter will be workign on it. Glad you liked this chapter.

I should add that my work here will be spotty, just a little here and there if I come up with something and fireKP1 likes it. He's the main writer of this story now.

Slim_878

23rd April 2006, 12:44 AM

allright, by the way I just noticed that firekp1 was the only one responding to my fic. So will you be responding soon?

Deathborn_606

23rd April 2006, 12:49 AM

The Great Bulter I should add that my work here will be spotty just a little here and there and if I come up with something and FireKP1likes it. He's the main writer of this story now.

Cool. I think you'll have some very good ideas.

And slim_878 I just replied to your fic.

Also chapter 11 will be up tomorrow night.

Deathborn_606

23rd April 2006, 5:08 AM

Okay this is info you really need to know. The Chapter 10 I submitted has been deleted. Why well Orion's back in this and I'm now his co-writer. He gives me the info I need to know about the next chapter, I write it and I e-mail it to Orion's and he grammar checks it and posts it.

Now we still need some help with this so if you're interseted in helping us PM me or Orion and we'll work it out.

Slim_878

23rd April 2006, 5:40 AM

Chapter 11! Chapter 11! Wooooo!

That means I can't wait for it!

Cipher Admin Lovrina

10th May 2006, 12:40 AM

Does the writer mind if my friend makes this story into a book? She's half way there...

~*Myuu the Ryuu*~

10th May 2006, 2:24 AM

Does the writer mind if my friend makes this story into a book? She's half way there...
That's a bad idea. Doing so would be violating Nintendo's copyright acts, since you're not allowed to use the characters or plot in any way unless you get permission from Nintendo.

Cipher Admin Lovrina

12th May 2006, 12:52 AM

Well, my friend still didn't do anything. She just copied and pasted it to a blank file. Whenever she wants to read it, she can just open up the file. Anyway, she's ditching the book idea and moving onto to the other idea. Making her OWN book...? That's what she told me last night...

Latios Trainer

12th May 2006, 11:51 PM

Yay Orion is back!I read all the chapters now.I liked the 9th chapter

Orion-Sama

22nd May 2006, 9:29 PM

You might wonder what the hell am I doing back here...

Well... I'll retake the story... again. I just have been thinking about it, that which kept me busy is about to end, and the cursed months for writing end earlier than I actually knew of. But not only that. I talked with my best friend, Tropical Spirit, and I realized I've been downright selfish. I got you all interested in the story, involved in the plot and the characters, and eager to look forward to it, but I stupidly dropped it all. I also felt miserable for that... not to mention confused. But I've decided already. I'll go on with the story. I'll write as much as I can. Not for me anymore. But for you, my readers. And let's face it. Compared with my writing, my drawing is sub-par at best. And I've resolved to stop wasting time on it, knowing that'll never be any good, if at all. And yes... I wanted to drop writing for a while so I could focus on drawing...

I'm sorry, everyone. I feel like a dumb attention-seeking turd now. I'll erase all my posts on the issue, and compell everyone else to do so...

And well... so you don't think this is yet ANOTHER hoax... here's Chapter 10 at LONG LAST! I'm strangely inspired about writing right now, and will try to get chapters MUCH earlier from now on. Also, thanks a lot to fireKP1, whom has been a OUTSTANDING help. I hope we can keep on working together, because you don't know how much help have you been!

Anyway... what awaits Ray and Teal at Pyrite? Read to find out!

NOTE: This chapter contains blood and swearing.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 10.
City of crime.

“Look up, Ray! We’ve just arrived!” said Teal to her friend, Ray, whom was feeling a bit tired and hot. The uniform he now wore was harder to tolerate. It wasn’t as loose as his other outfit and the helmet kept heat inside it. The ever-shining Sun of the Orre desert didn’t help the matter either. As he looked around, he realized they had reached Pyrite Town. It was a sight he remembered vividly, even after eight years of being away. Teal had parked her motorcycle in the very entrance of the town. Ray recognized the old pave-and-dirt sidewalk of the town, the green building of the Pyrite Police and the white facility with the big “FORTUNE TELLING” label, a bit to the left. It was the same place, though the buildings did look a bit creaky, old, as if they had been abandoned for long years. Even after realizing they had arrived, Ray felt too warm to get up. The unbearable temperature drained him off most of his initial energy.

Teal got down her motorcycle, and noticed Ray lay there, like some sort of slacker. Slightly worried, she asked, “Ray… are you OK?” She then shook Ray, and he got back to senses.

“Ungh… sorry Teal. This outfit is way too hot. Can you cover me while I drink some water, please?”

“Of course.” Teal stood in front of Ray, her back pointing at the unsuspecting town. A couple of thugs were looking at them, probably wondering what were a Snagger and a Soldier doing in their town. Ray took off his backpack and opened it. He got out a big bottle, filled with water from tip to toe. He opened the bottle and drunk a huge chunk off it. The water drenched his thirst and made him feel a bit cooler. Cleaning his mouth, Ray closed the bottle and stored it back into his backpack. He got up afterwards, feeling much better.

“Ahh! Thank you, Teal. Let’s move on.” Teal smiled back, though her eyes couldn’t be seen. She was sweating as well, but her outfit wasn’t as hot as Ray’s. Overlapping alongside Teal, Ray walked on with her. In a second thought, Pyrite was certainly different. All the buildings of the entrance were closed with boards nailed to the doors and windows. The desert breeze now ran across the town mercilessly, blowing up sand in its wake. The town itself was pretty much abandoned. Ray and Teal had to walk forward for quite a while, looking at abandoned structures and still, no one to be found. The scoundrels looking at them had vanished as well.

“Quite the scary setting, isn’t it? The town has changed a lot. After all, it’s been eight years…” Though rather unimpressed, Ray felt slightly nostalgic. And even had a sympathetic feeling of shame for his hometown. They walked on… the Item Store and a rather cylindrical-like building on the right; a rusty brown building and an abandoned hotel on the left… not much to see.

“I would say the same. Pyrite looks like a ghost town. Maybe we should enter in some buildings,” suggested Teal. Ray nodded and led her to the closest building they had: the cylinder building, glimmering with the intense morning sun. Ray knew that one very well. It had been the home where he grew in his first few years of life. His first six years of his life had been spent in that building.

Ray opened the front door. It squeaked loudly, and revealed a similar sight to that of Rui’s house back in Agate. The place was completely filled with dust. Darkness enveloped the sole room of the building as well. Ray touched bits of the rusty wall, and finally found a light switch, which was slightly stuck and took quite a bit off him to flip. Still, he managed and the neon light of the room turned on. Despite the dust covering the tube, an intense light irradiated from it, and more of the shameful scenery was revealed: a broken TV, several crammers down on the floor, many books scattered through the ground. In a glimpse, scenes of that day passed through Ray’s head…

***

“Daddy! Look at what I found” Ray had found an odd egg in the town’s surroundings. It was red, and felt slightly warm. That scene was still fresh on his head, but it had been long since he recalled it last.

“What’s that you’re carrying, Ray? An egg?”

“Yes! It’s warm, and I want to keep it.”

“I’m not sure about it… what if the hatchling is dangerous? Could be anything, darling. Probably a Pokémon Egg. And you’re underage for that…”

“But daddy… I’ll take care of it!”

“I know. But still…” And then, it happened. The door flung open with a strong sound. A bunch of men wearing blue armors and orange scarves broke into the building and started to wreak havoc all over. The dropped the crammers, destroyed the TV and broke the windows. All of them packed guns. Ray’s father panicked and covered his only son with his entire body, with lousy hopes of not being noticed.

“Well… look at this,” said one of those men. Unlike the rest, he wore a crimson red armor, and had a weird shoulder cover in his left arm. The cover went through that soldier’s arm with some cables, which ended in the hand, covered with a weird sort of glove.

“Cipher! I knew it. After the obliteration of Phenac… I knew Pyrite was next.” Ray was surprised. He couldn’t believe his father was so brave in such a hard moment. Instead, he was trembling to his very root. What were these people doing in his house? And why was dad protecting him?

“You decide, fool. Cooperate with us and give away your son, or we’ll take him by force anyway.”

“I’ll never let you get a hold of him!” Ray was grabbed tightly by his father, whom then stepped on a tile of the floor. The ground moved aside, and secret stairs leading down appeared before it. The man and his son went down. And there they stood… with hopes that darkness would hide them.

“Child’s play.” The soldier encased in red armor followed them, carrying a bright flare in his left hand. He spotted Ray’s father, protecting his son. And then, he pulled the trigger…

“Ray! Escape!” Ray was pushed by his father as a loud explosion was heard. A bullet flew fast through a short distance, until it hit Ray’s father right in his chest. The shot’s potency was so huge it trespassed the man’s torso and stopped in the floor. Ray was too young to realize it had been a fatal blow. He saw his father dropping down the ground, and there he stood… lifeless.

“Daddy?” Ray shook his father’s arm, thinking that it was just a joke, or a faint. He then moved his small hands to his dad’s back. Red, dense liquid spilled out of it. His hands drenched with his father’s blood, while he remained unaware of what had just happened. “Daddy? Can you get up? Can we play? Daddy? Dad? Papa?”

But there was no response. And Ray trembled when another bang came up. This time upstairs. A faint shriek followed. This time, it sounded more feminine. “Mommy?” Unaware of what had just happened, Ray couldn’t help but wonder: what were those men doing here? Why his dad wouldn’t move anymore? And why had mom screamed?

But there was no time for him to assimilate. “Sorry, kid. Your parents were stupid and thought they could decide for you. We couldn’t push the matter anymore and got rid of them, if you get what I mean. Either way, you won’t miss them in the place where you’ll live from now on.” The red-armored soldier ducked and grabbed him. It was like a hug, thought Ray. But it wasn’t special or nice, as it was when his father and mother hugged him. It was forced, and he felt bad. The soldier then walked upstairs and got out of the house very fast. And then he realized: they were taking him somewhere else and his parents didn’t even move.

“What are you doing? Mommy! Daddy! Help!” But his screams were unheard. His parents were dead. Tears started to flow through his red eyes. “Mom! Dad!” And then, a fear he couldn’t explain filled his heart. He didn’t know how, but he had figured it: his parents had left this world. Those men had taken them. They separated them. Ray squeaked and screamed, trying to release himself. But he couldn’t. The red soldier was too strong. And he was being taken out of Pyrite.

“Mom… dad…” Ray’s tears couldn’t stop as he was dumped in a truck parked near the town. He was the only one there, but then, he noticed: he was still carrying the red egg. Ray looked at it. It was fine. No cracks or fissures. And it felt warmer than before. Ray felt lonely. It had been too much for one day. He still didn’t know what was going to become of him, but he had resolved to take care of that egg. Maybe he was too young still, but he knew one thing: he was on his own now. And gutsy as he had always been, accepted his new destiny. Maybe on day, he’d have revenge… he would escape.

***

Teal ducked as she saw a few things coming out of a book in the floor. They looked like photos. Teal grabbed them, and cleaned them off the dust. It was, in fact, a picture. It depicted a tall, skinny man wearing loose shirt and shorts. He had blue hair and brown eyes. In the right a woman with back hair and red eyes carried a small kid, whom had blue, short hair. Teal recognized him… he was so young in that picture. Wondering a bit, she went with Ray, whom remained motionless in one spot.

“Ray. Are you the kid in this photo?” Ray looked at the picture. It was he with his parents, several years ago. A strange sadness invaded him, as he just nodded in answer to Teal’s question.

“Oh… I’m sorry Ray. I didn’t know this was…” but Ray walked to her and Teal stopped her words all of a sudden.

“It’s nothing, Teal. I just had a flashback of what happened eight years ago. But it’s all in the past now. That day, I accepted my new destiny, and decided to go on. No matter how difficult….” But Teal knew he still felt sad about it.

“It’s just… that I couldn’t do anything to save them.” Ray’s voice sounded rather cut now. Teal looked at his eyes: they were quite watery. Ray shook his fists, and he felt like dropping down to the floor, lamenting his loss. But then, Teal hugged him…

“Ray… you’re so brave. But don’t blame yourself. You were too young, and outnumbered that day. And even then, you moved on. You recognized your parent’s sacrifice, and decided to go on. To get revenge one day. It’s not time to be sad now. Your parents must be proud of you, and now… you can avenge them. We’ll just have to go on. And remember… that you’ll always have… me…” Teal talked from her heart, and her blush was intense. Ray was slightly blushed as well, but the helmet didn’t allow it to be seen.

“You’re right, Teal. Thanks… I just felt slightly sad after seeing that again. But we shall move on. Let’s go…” Teal released Ray, and then, both exited Ray’s old house. Not before taking the pictures of Ray’s long-gone family with them. It had been years since he last saw them…

***

Atop the skyscraper, Miror B. looked down. The darkness became apparent as he witnessed the big fissure that crossed the town’s upper half. Not even his luxurious office could distract him. Lost in memories, Miror B. started to have a flashback. He remembered those days… how he became what he was now. Not what anyone would call a pink story of success…

Back in the days, Miror B. was a casual kid with a family of his own. They always took care of him. As he grew up, however, he started to look and learn about Pokémon. He found them quite interesting. But he found their main charm to be their dancing. Those moves… flawless steps… unmatched rhythms… just sublime. He had always loved to dance, and he thought Pokémon would be the best of teachers.

In time, Miror B. was inscribed by his parents in the Pre-GYM. Even though he managed to get started in Pokémon Training thanks to that, the memories of those days weren’t nice in any way. His appearance was that of a girly guy, even back then. This earned him the spiteful and unfounded insults and mockery of most, if not all of his men partners. Their liners still hurt Miror B.’s memories to this day.

“Hey fagot!”

“Wanna dance, eh?”

“Wow! You sure define ‘gay’!”

“I wanna dance because I’m so girly and a ***!”

As if that wasn’t enough, Miror B. endured several and almost daily beat-ups at his partner’s hands. They just hated him. Only because he was different…

Miror B. enclosed his hands in raging fists as he remembered that. But he then smirked. Such fools they were… messing with him. His passions were what got them punished. As much, if not more than what they had beaten him up.

Miror B.’s Pokémon of choice as he joined the Pre-GYM was a Lotad. He trained it with determination, and making it very strong with every day passing. Those cute, puny eyes in the cute blue body were too appealing for him. But he was more than overjoyed as it evolved into Lombre. A funny, witty kind wearing what seemed to be a big Sombrero, long arms that moved all around, and a graceful dancing style. Miror B. had found his lifelong partner. And even that couldn’t be compared when he finally evolved it into Ludicolo.

The final Stage of his first Pokémon was the first and most important step in Miror B.’s training career. Not only was it strong, energetic and big. It was an excellent dancer. Ludicolo was the main source of his Trainer’s inspiration, and thanks to it, Miror B. became an even better dancer as he learnt Ludicolo’s dancing style. But not only that… Ludicolo was strong. Strong enough to avenge its Master…

That fateful day, Miror B. walked on in front of his partners.

“Hey, look! It’s Gayror B.!”

“So, you wanna get some common sense beaten into your dancing-driven body?”

“Ohh no! You shall get a lesson in pain, darlings! All of you! Go, Ludicolo!” Miror B. released his Pokémon, whom looked at its Trainer’s detractors with almost as much hatred as Miror B. himself.

“So, you’ll keep on being a pansy and will use your Pokémon against us? Just because… AHH!” Those were the last words of the partner in front. Ludicolo had jumped him in, and started to smack him nonstop with its Fury Swipes attack. The strokes were swift, constant and too strong for a human to endure. Ludicolo stopped all of a sudden, as Miror B.’s partner lay unconscious on the floor, blood spilling out of his nose and with several strokes all over his head. Ludicolo then jumped the guy next to him, giving him the same treatment.

One by one, each and every guy that ever insulted Miror B. got their punishment at long last. Miror B. laughed in self-satisfaction as he looked down at his now-beaten detractors. When Ludicolo was done with the last one, he jumped back with his master. Laughing in unison, Miror B. and Ludicolo just turned back and walked on, eager to get out of the place. However, they were stopped right on their tracks.

“What happened here!?” The then-leader of the Pre-GYM stopped Miror B. and his Ludicolo as he noticed his actions and all the students laying down unconscious and bleeding all over the Training Grounds. He then saw Ludicolo’s bare hands, which were all drenched in red, dry blood.

“What have you done?” said the leader, fists shaking with fury, and with eyes that showed that he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“They’ve annoyed me and beaten me up all those years! You never did anything about it! And now that they get what they deserve, I’m going to be punished?” said Miror B. with a similarly angry tone.

“They weren’t as low as to use their own Pokémon against you! This isn’t going to be tolerated! No matter the reason! Today, I expel you from the Pre-GYM!” Miror B. dropped down, unable to give credit to those words. He had been abused all those years, yet when he gave them the same treatment he was expulsed? He was both sad and furious. His Ludicolo, as close as it was to Miror B., acted precipitately. The Carefree Pokémon jumped the Pre-GYM’s leader and attacked him in the same fashion as it did with Miror B.’s annoying partners.

“ACK! STOP IT! NOW!” cried the leader as he felt the intense swipes all over his head.

“STOP LUDICOLO!” The Pokémon stopped its savage attack right away, and then was returned to its Poké Ball immediately. The leader, however, was in a bad condition, yet he was fully conscious.

“This is IT! I shall call your parents for an appointment!” The leader got up slowly, and then called on Miror B.’s parents. The Pre-GYM manager then asked Miror B. to wait outside. He saw both his parents walk on. They didn’t even look at him…

An hour had just passed when the parents got out of the Pre-GYM. They walked on, ignoring Miror B. whom had been waiting for them all this time.

“Let me go! What you just did… my blood would never do such a thing,” said the mother in a very angry tone.

“Forget about us. You have no parents. Not anymore!” said Miror B.’s father as he grabbed Miror B.’s arm, detached it from his wife’s arm and gave Miror B. a hard punch in the right cheek. Miror B. stood there, motionless. His parents had abandoned him… just because he did what was joust. No one understood him. He was all alone…

However, he didn’t give up. That day, he resolved to go on by himself and to start a new life… a life of crime. He became a much better dancer, and got hold of more Pokémon. Always interested in all dance styles, he looked down at Disco. This was HIS style, and he knew it. For years, Miror B. stole and committed misdeeds all over the place. His home was, ironically, the same home as when he was a child: Pyrite Town. There, he was unlikely to ever get caught, and he’d even have a home amongst all other scoundrels.

Soon, his name became famous all over Orre. He was known as the “Dancing Demon”. Completely graceful, reckless and an expert in avoiding the law, Miror B. was one of the most feared thugs in the place. With the years, he developed what would become his main identification: a massive afro formed by the hair he grew for over ten years, half-red as was his natural hair, and half-white, painted to match the color scheme of a Poké Ball. He became a better Trainer as he transited the lane of crime as well. This passion led him to meet six younglings. The six were amateur Trainers and willful dancers, whom he took under his wing and compelled him to form a gang of his own. Their names: Folly, Trudly, Ferma, Reath, Mirakle and Miriam. All outcasts like himself, and all proud of being the underlings of the “Dancing Demon”. Miror B.’s luck had changed…

In time, Miror B. and his followers took care of his own business. They helped him on both killing his parents and killing the previous Pre-GYM Leader. Both were done masterfully and without getting caught by dumb policemen. But that didn’t end their reign of crime. Soon, Miror B.’s influence over Pyrite became undisputed, to not say his popularity. The town, whose demographics was formed of a vast majority of scoundrels and thieves, preferred an idol like Miror B., of their own condition, than some buff in charge of the Colosseum, as was Duking…

One day, as Miror B. looked down at the fissure in the northernmost side of Pyrite, far from his gang, he had the visit of a person. As the wrongdoer he was, Miror B. got startled when that person touched his right shoulder. However, he turned back, and saw a man that caused so many feelings in unison it wasn’t even funny. The red glowing eyes… the waving white hair… the tight purple outfit… the apparent buff and evilness… yet it was all elegantly mixed in one awfully handsome man. Or at least that’s what Miror B. thought. “Um… hi.”

“The Dancing Demon, I presume? Or should I call you by your real name, Miror B.?”[I] He went even more impressed. That guy knew his real name. Something very few had the honor of.

[I]“Yes… what do you want?”

“Oh… nothing much. I’ve been watching you. Following each and every misdeed of yours and your gang. You’ve got talent, my boy. Both in Pokémon Training and in crime…”

“Wha? You really think so? That makes me oh-so happy! But still! What makes you so interested in me?”

“Just one thing: you have what it takes. You could come in handy quite well. I know you’ve been eager of taking control of Pyrite…?”

“Yes! You know so much about me! But how?”

“It’s my talent… anyway. You want power and recognition, Miror B. I know it… and with us, you’ll get it easily.”

“Us? What the hell?”

“You’ll know eventually. So… what do you say? Will you join us? We’ll take your followers as well…”

Miror B. felt both intrigued yet lucky. That person, whomever he was, had captivated him in every way. Plus, he felt an aura of unexplainable, yet unmatched energy all over him. Miror B. grabbed the hands of the person he had just talked with, and said in a very happy tone: “Of course we accept!”

Since then, Miror B. became even more famous. But all he did was in Nascour’s stead. To this day, he’s always been in love with him, which explains both his anger when Nascour was caught and his inhability of doing anything as he was fired from Cipher all of a sudden. However, he never lost hopes, and became more than eager to help Nascour in this new undertake. Not only he won even more power… he was back with Nascour.

The automatic door of his office then made the usual sound, as someone busted in. Miror B. snapped out of his memories just like that, looking at the Hunter whom had just entered his room. The guy wore brown, expansive baggy pants, a funny hat, weird glasses and a black shirt covered with a brown jacket. His hair was brown, and kind of curly.

“Oh! Good morning, Dovick! What brings you here so early?” said Miror B.

“Sir… I just saw a Soldier and a Snagger making their entrance in the town a few minutes ago. They look very tough… I felt like telling you.”

“I see… well done. Go back and prove their worth. I won’t allow them in unless they can defeat the Duel Square. If they manage to beat you, show them the way, my boy!”

“OK sir!” said Dovick as he turned back. Miror B. adjusted his red necktie, which had lucid stamps reminiscent of a white thunder all over it, and then sat in his chair. His black Tuxedo opened in the middle made him feel like a very important person. He adjusted his black glasses as he thought of good things for the MBN this day.

All of a sudden, the telephone resting in Miror B.’s desk rang. He picked it up, as the screen turned on and showed the face of his boss, Nascour. As always, Miror B. was happy for having this call, of all things.

“Master Nascour! Good morning! What compels you to call me?” said Miror B., with a more-than-happy tone.

“Serious issues, Miror B. It’s time to test out your own self…”

***

Ray and Teal had just busted the door of a brown, rusty house in the west side of the town. By Ray’s memory, this was Duking’s place back in the days. They were ought to find something… or so they thought.

The place was much like Ray’s house. Book shelves dropped all over the dusty room, a broken desk, several books all over the floor, and the usual darkness caused by abandon. Teal flipped the switch nearby, and faint bulbs turned on. They looked all over… nothing. They then saw a hole in the wall, which took to a cavern of sorts. The river still flew in the very back, but there was nothing else. Only dirt and rocks.

“Nothing here…” said Teal, a bit disappointed. She and Ray got out, but before they left, Ray noticed a book in the broken desk. The book was slightly cleaner than most others, and there seemed to be a sheet standing out of sync with all others, imprisoned inside the book.

“Um… what could this be?” Teal grabbed the book and then took out the detached sheet. She took a quick glance at it…

I’ve heard several rumors already. An escape from the very Headquarters, and even the prospect of Dakim being beaten. With hope is that I write this short missive. Hopes that you, the escapees, find it and know that I’m by your side.

I joined Miror B.’s group so I could have contact with Cipher and even have the chance of helping out if the opportunity of freedom ever aroused again. It was my job as a double agent of Pyrite’s Police. So… when you battle me, wave this message in front of me. No matter the situation, I’ll show off my true face and fight for your cause.

As for extra information… there’s no need to worry about most of Miror B.’s underlings. They’re sad excuses for Trainers…

As for who am I? Just use your instincts. You’ll know who’s the traitor right away…

The best of luck.

“Interesting…” said Ray as Teal handed him the message. Ray stored it in his pocket and then walked on with Teal by his side. However, as they were about to exit the house, someone stopped them.

"Hold it right there. The great Miror B. has told me to test you. Win and you might earn a special spot in MBN’s schedule. Fail and you’re outta here!" said the culprit that had just stopped Ray and Teal.

"Well, Teal… that message said guys like him should be easy,” inquired Ray as he got out one Poké Ball out of his belt.

"That’s true. Let's beat this guy," replied his partner.

"By the way, the name's Dovick. Now fall!" Ray and Teal stood in one side of the room, while Dovick remained in the side closest to the door, looking at them with despise. Teal got hold of one Poké Ball as well, while Dovick grabbed two.

"Ready, kiddos? All right, GO!” Dovick sent out his Pokémon first. The first one was a pink Pokémon with an appearance similar to that of a cat. It had a happy face and a funny tail. It was a Skitty. His other Pokémon was a big rock-like Pokémon with four arms, and a mean expression. It was a Graveler, but it looked much weaker than Roke’s.

Ray sent out his Gengar, whom smiled maliciously at his adversaries. Teal brought out her Wigglytuff, whom started to glare viciously at the foes in front of her. A rare expression in such a gentle Pokémon.

"All right Wigglytuff, use Water Pulse on Graveler!” commanded Teal.

“Use Ice Punch on Skitty, Gengar" said Ray to his Pokémon.

"Skitty, use Doubleslap on Gengar! Graveler, use Shadow Rush on Wigglytuff!” were Dovick’s commands to his Pokémon.

Gengar struck first with outstanding speed, floating through the house as his right fist glowed with a blue shine. He then connected a cold punch at Skitty’s face before it could do anything. The power was enough to freeze the poor Kitty Pokémon. On the other hand, Wigglytuff focused her mind and then blew off a water stream, which formed circles reminiscent of a pulse. The fast waves flew through the place and hit Graveler straight in the face. The Rock Pokémon fainted right away, unable to take Water attacks at all.

"No way! Come back, Graveler, Skitty…” said Dovick, as two red beams took the afflicted Pokémon back into their Poké Balls.

Ray and Teal called back their Pokémon inside their Poké Balls. It had been a rather easy battle, to be honest.

“Quite easy…” uttered Ray.

“Now… what was it about a space in MBN’s broadcast?”

Dovick turned back to his victorious enemies, and then told them: “You can earn a place in MBN’s schedule, and even battle Miror B. However, you’ll need to do more than just defeat me. You still have to defeat the Duel Square if you ever want to go inside the Skyscraper.”

“But don’t get over-confident just because you defeated me. Good luck at the Duel Square. You’ll need it!” with those words, Dovick left the house.

“Well, let’s go Ray,” said Teal, and both got out of the worn down building, turning left. They saw five Trainers standing ahead; in an area of the street which had a circle painted in it. They walked on, eager to go on and prepared for more battles.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry for censor bypassing... but I had to.

Many battles await our heroes next. Wait for next chapter to see what'll happen!

Reviews are always appreciated. I just hope that all this jibberish hasn't led you off this story forever. And if it did... well, I have it well-deserved... :(

Until next time! :)

~*Myuu the Ryuu*~

22nd May 2006, 9:55 PM

Nice chapter! I found a typo though:

[i]“The Dancing Demon, I presume? Or should I call you by your real name, Miror B.?”[i]

PDL

23rd May 2006, 12:44 AM

Quite an interesting, though a bit dark, backstory you guys gave Miror B.

and I'm glad that *Orion*'s now back in charge of the fic... or is it now co-written?

can't wait for the next chapter.

Deathborn_606

23rd May 2006, 12:51 AM

PDL I co-write the fic with *Orion*.

The Great Butler

23rd May 2006, 1:18 AM

Yay, it's back!

I loved this chapter, mostly because of Miror B. That guy is just so lovable in such an evil way.

Glad to have ya back, Orion. Good work you and fireKP1 have done.

Tabby Catty

23rd May 2006, 1:46 AM

Poor Miror B. I was touched hearing his awful past poor guy being teased like it I now know how Maxie, Harley, Tucker, and Tabitha's (because of his name that his gender confused parents gave him) childhood was as well it must bite being teased like that I even have been teased multiple times myself.

Lovrina addict 4ever!!!!

26th May 2006, 8:46 PM

WOW. *jaw drops to floor* I did noice a few grammar errors:
*too lazy for quotes*
I never knew that rivers fly! Thanks for the knowlege!
*still too lazy for quotes*
WTF does "expulsed" mean? I think you mean "expelled". I do understand what you mean, but some people don't want to go decoding what you said.

shinneymeowth001

29th May 2006, 12:40 PM

Once again, Orion shows his great story ...writing skills (or something).
no comments, though. and don't worry; I was gone from the site, too, so don't feel bad for not writing in a few months :)

Drayano

29th May 2006, 2:20 PM

Poor Miror. B, never expected him to have a childhood like that. D: I quite liked the flashbacks and emotions in this chapter, although I wonder if Miror. B's history will have any effect if Ray does manage to reach him.

*ponders thoughts*

Regifire

4th June 2006, 8:20 AM

Woohoo! Orion's back on the fic! good going. Next objective: complete chapter 11

I have been readin this fic in small amounts(a chapter a day) and have finally reached the end(how deppressing) and I have to say that you are a great writer Orion!

A few things however: Overuse of the word Sad. Lately you have gotten rid of using guy alot but evry time someone is depressed you use the word sad which becomes repetitive.

A few minor mistakes but besides that I have to say: Great Plot, I like how you developed the admins and you made Nett and co. more than just a bunch of people sitting around doing research for Wes among other great things about the fic.

*Goes off to finish editing an old cipher fic and thinks about posting it*

Moonlight Locust

12th June 2006, 8:59 PM

Graet fic! Just like Barney Slayer I've been reading from the start. Now I have saved thsi into my favourites 'caus I don't want to search Uprise Of Cipher every day.

Keep it up!,
-BM;manafi;

Orion-Sama

5th July 2006, 1:59 AM

Well... time to reply to the replies! :D

Nice chapter! I found a typo though:
Thanks. Also thanks for pointing out the mistake. The stupid browser closed the window as I was adding the chapter with the edits to the post. Had to post it all again and added the tags in Word. Always lose one when I do that, hehe. Thanks for the spot-on! I'd appreciate a deeper review, if any. Thanks anyway! I hope you can keep on reading! :)

Quite an interesting, though a bit dark, backstory you guys gave Miror B.

and I'm glad that *Orion*'s now back in charge of the fic... or is it now co-written?

can't wait for the next chapter.
As Shadowblazer said afterwards, he's helping me writing the Fic. Mostly battle scenes, as I really don't have a good flair at coming up with many random battles at all. I'm glad you liked Miror B.'s past, though. I placed quite a lot of effort in it, and I'm glad people noticed. Will try to have Chapter 11 ready by next week at most. So lazy I am. Still, thanks! And I hope you keep on reading! ^^

Yay, it's back!

I loved this chapter, mostly because of Miror B. That guy is just so lovable in such an evil way.

Glad to have ya back, Orion. Good work you and fireKP1 have done.
Thanks for the reply! I'm glad you're still interested. Miror B. has always been a funny guy for me, but, as with most characters, I thought a rather dark background would be fitting. Thanks for the props, and I hope you can keep on reading!

Poor Miror B. I was touched hearing his awful past poor guy being teased like it I now know how Maxie, Harley, Tucker, and Tabitha's (because of his name that his gender confused parents gave him) childhood was as well it must bite being teased like that I even have been teased multiple times myself.
Aww. I know. Bullying is so awful indeed, and those people that's "different" are prone to be picked up at. Sorry to hear they also tease you. Just try to ignore it or confront them if they go too far. Still, I'm honored that I managed to make it touching for you. I hope you can keep on reading! ^^

WOW. *jaw drops to floor* I did noice a few grammar errors:
*too lazy for quotes*
I never knew that rivers fly! Thanks for the knowlege!
*still too lazy for quotes*
WTF does "expulsed" mean? I think you mean "expelled". I do understand what you mean, but some people don't want to go decoding what you said.
Your posts always amuse me for some reason. XD. Anyway, thanks for the knowledge. As a Mexican, I sometimes mix up spanish and english words. A memorable example was when I used "Smoking" instead of "Tuxedo". =P. Thanks for pointing out, though. It's this trend of not using the same word too much which makes it happen. Maybe I shouldn't bother anymore. lol. And... did I get the Water Pulse description wrong? Crud. Anyway, thanks for the reply. I hope you can keep on reading!

Once again, Orion shows his great story ...writing skills (or something).
no comments, though. and don't worry; I was gone from the site, too, so don't feel bad for not writing in a few months :)
Hehe, thanks. I'm not much good, but I appreciate the support. And well... I can't help but feel guilty when I take so much time and go all emo and crap, hehe. Still, I'm glad I managed to keep many readers still. Thanks again, and I hope you can keep on reading. ^^

Poor Miror. B, never expected him to have a childhood like that. D: I quite liked the flashbacks and emotions in this chapter, although I wonder if Miror. B's history will have any effect if Ray does manage to reach him.

*ponders thoughts*
Glad to have you still around! It's joyous to have one of my first readers still loyal to the story. I'm glad you liked the emotions. As I said, I made quite the effort to make it both appealing and shocking. As for it having an effect when they reach it... you'll have to wait! ;)

Still, thanks for the reply. I hope you can keep on reading! ^^

Woohoo! Orion's back on the fic! good going. Next objective: complete chapter 11
Hehe. And I'm back to stay... hopefully! Chapter 11 is almost done thanks to my awesome co-writer. I'm in the process of improving it, and will be done soon. Thanks for the reply! I hope you can keep on reading! ^^

Good chapter. I was waiting for Pyrite Town to show up.

So, since Miror B. loves Nascour, that's pretty much proof that he's gay?
Glad you liked it. And well... indeed? =O Anyway, I hope you can keep on reading!

I have been readin this fic in small amounts(a chapter a day) and have finally reached the end(how deppressing) and I have to say that you are a great writer Orion!

A few things however: Overuse of the word Sad. Lately you have gotten rid of using guy alot but evry time someone is depressed you use the word sad which becomes repetitive.

A few minor mistakes but besides that I have to say: Great Plot, I like how you developed the admins and you made Nett and co. more than just a bunch of people sitting around doing research for Wes among other great things about the fic.

*Goes off to finish editing an old cipher fic and thinks about posting it*
Glad you like the story so far. It makes me feel so happy. As for the word overuse... sorry. I try my best, but I always mess it up. And when I try, I get at least one mishap in the end. Still, I'll try to do it better from now on. And well... glad you liked the way I'm developing the characers in the games. That was my biggest gripe with both games, and I hope I won't disappoint with my vision. It's going to get quite touching, especially with the XD Admins and Boss. You'll see later on... anyway. I hope you can keep on reading! :)

Graet fic! Just like Barney Slayer I've been reading from the start. Now I have saved thsi into my favourites 'caus I don't want to search Uprise Of Cipher every day.

Keep it up!,
Thanks. It's always great to get support from my readers. I hope you can keep on reading! ^^

OK peeps. Forgive my laziness. I'm just so easily distracted and I'm devising a new Fic project which is gathering quite a bunch of my interest, but I'll try to get on with this story. It's just that most battle-heavy chapters are a chore to write, or to edit, even, unless the characters involved are major or at least secondary, as it was in the Agate arc. Still, I must go on, for the next chapters are quite fun and bound to be of your liking. I'll work as much as I can on Chapter 11 and will try to have it ready by next week the latest. I don't assure anything though...

It's relieving to see not all left, though. Shame that Sike Saner, one of my first and favorite readers, has left indeed. But oh well... I still need a lot and the massive hiatus was bound to turn off most. Which wasn't really the case, but still.

Oh well. Don't ditch it, for next chapter will be done sooner rather than later! Thanks again, everyone! ^^

Sike Saner

5th July 2006, 4:56 AM

It's relieving to see not all left, though. Shame that Sike Saner, one of my first and favorite readers, has left indeed. But oh well... I still need a lot and the massive hiatus was bound to turn off most. Which wasn't really the case, but still.

I didn't leave! O_O I just didn't realize that this had been updated (haven't had quite as much time for the forums lately as I used to). I myself constantly worry that the increasing length of time between my own chapters will turn off readers, so it woud be kind of hypocritical of me to abandon a fic just because of having to wait for a chapter. And I'd especially never abandon one that I'm as fond of as this one. I apologize sincerely for making you think for even a moment that I'd lost faith in you... ;-;

Anyway, I'm very glad to see this story up and running again, and especially with a chapter like that one! TEH MIRORNESS! =D Terrific backstory you've given him, one that really succeeds in defining his character. It also had the effect of making me want to hug him even moreso than usual, the poor guy. ;-; And I smiled when I saw him described as having red as his natural haircolor - that's the way I've always thought his hair to be, too. ^^

Plus, Miror B. and I have something in common - we both recognize the sexy majesty of Nascour. ^^ (But of course, I think Miror B. is even sexier than Nascour! ^.~)

Alfonc

12th July 2006, 4:10 AM

Awesome chapter Orion!
I'll have to read the other ones,as I haven't been in this Thread for a long time.^_^;

This chapter was very violent,as I was shocked when Mirror B's Ludicolo jumped to his forer-members and blood came out with just Fury Swipes.
Then again,this story is rated PG-13.

Keep it up Orion!
You're doing great!

Morpher01

19th August 2006, 12:01 AM

....Am I the only one who even acknowledges the existence of this awesome fic?

;105; Just one thing bothers me: if Ludicolo don't have claws, how can blood come out of a person when Fury Swipes is used? That's all that really bothers me......other than Miror B.'s freaky tastes....and I'm not talking about his music.

Deathborn_606

19th August 2006, 12:51 AM

....Am I the only one who even acknowledges the existence of this awesome fic?

;105; Yeah, seriously...

Don't worry we all do but last time I talked to Orion-Sama he wasn't real movtivated for doing much....but good news that was late last month. And during that time he had 1 out of 5 duel square battles done. So really I don't know where he's really at right now?

Orion-Sama

19th August 2006, 2:09 AM

Thanks for your reply, Sike Saner. I'm glad you didn't stop reading. Very, very glad. And I knew you'd like Miror B.'s past. I'll try my best to get off my current lack of inspiration so I can further this up. But I don't know if I'll be able to... >__< Thanks again either way! ^^

Morpher01, thanks for the reply. I haven't abandoned this at all. But there's something... link coming. As for Ludicolo making blood to spout... um... maybe it does have claws that can't be seen at first sight. Or they're retractile and appear when attacking. Or the stroke is so hard it's almost like scratching.

Like Shadowblazer said, I really lack inspiration right now, to the point I'm very bored with the current chapter writing. It's a more serious issue than that, though. Read this. (http://orion-sama.livejournal.com/1250.html#cutid1) It explains my current stand...

I'm really unsure about this Fic's future. I really don't want to abandon it, or chaptered Fics for that matter, but... you just read what I think right now. If I can work out the biggest flaw of my planned project, "The Oracle", I can easily see myself ditching this unless I get a PC for me which I can use willingly. I just don't have the chance of working in many Fics if that doesn't happens, and "The Oracle" is way more dynamic and deep story-wise. At least for me...

I'll try and write more of this, but as I said, it's almost a chore for me as it stands. And most arcs hold this trouble as well. The only redeeming one is the Gateon Arc. And I really don't wanna think about the Opal City Arc...

Sorry again. I REALLY wish I could do something about it. But I truly need a PC of my own, which I can't get right now... but I'll try. Sorry again. I'm so ashamed...

Deathborn_606

19th August 2006, 2:29 AM

I'm really unsure about this Fic's future. I really don't want to abandon it, or chaptered Fics for that matter, but... you just read what I think right now. If I can work out the biggest flaw of my planned project, "The Oracle", I can easily see myself ditching this unless I get a PC for me which I can use willingly. I just don't have the chance of working in many Fics if that doesn't happens, and "The Oracle" is way more dynamic and deep story-wise. At least for me...

NO HE MIGHT DITCH THE FIC NO!!....okay I'll calm down {Takes very long deep breath}

What I meant to say and yeah I'm 13 but being in university {It seems that your in university} for you seems tough and juggling all of what your doing {including your fics} seems even more tough and annoying.

I'll try and write more of this, but as I said, it's almost a chore for me as it stands. And most arcs hold this trouble as well. The only redeeming one is the Gateon Arc. And I really don't wanna think about the Opal City Arc...

Funny I thought the Mt. Battle Arc would be the hardest for you. Not Opal City but yeah I have no clue what you've got planned. Gateon makes sense for being easy.

Sorry again. I REALLY wish I could do something about it. But I truly need a PC of my own, which I can't get right now... but I'll try. Sorry again. I'm so ashamed...

Orion-Sama you have no need to be ashamed. You have a life, we all have a life and you seem to have a very compliacted life right now. But really starting another fic doesn't seem to be helping this in any way {In my mind}

So remember that you have all of your readers behind you {Including me} and we'll all be here for you. From old readers to new readers.

Moonlight Locust

25th August 2006, 7:38 PM

I do not want you to stop this fic. Me, just like you, can never finish chaptered fics. I like a lot of fics and this is one. But if you must stop, I must accept that. Ta-Ta.

Zero Nexus

26th August 2006, 9:43 PM

holy crap! i just started reading this today and this fic is 10/10!

ive only got upto the part with dakim and i almost cried in this story! dont turn houndoom into a shadow pokemon! please!!!!!

you have a reader in me!

Morpher01

26th August 2006, 10:11 PM

;105; So, you don't have a lotta inspiration? Before you ask, Morpher's busy listening to music videos on Youtube. He's getting some ideas from them, or so he says.

;105; Okay.....so. Basically, Morpher can probably help you with this. He can submit info on an Admin's Pokemon...including Shadows...as well as provide plot ideas, though the latter of which are a bit more rare. *looks around*

;105; Okay, good, he's too busy listening to "Animal I Have Become" to hear me. Anyway, just think it over or somethin'. I know you could probably use the help. Later. *leaves for now*

Been reading 7 fics and I can't reply to all of them at once....Sad...

Morpher01

1st October 2006, 11:56 PM

Uh........wow. There haven't been posts here in, like, months!

;105; Yeah....shame, ain't it? Seriously....and no one seems to care about this fic anymore.

So it seems....so it seems...

;105; Are you going to repeat yourself for this whole post?

-_-

Anyway.....

I'm not one to spontaneously take over fics, but really, does anyone other than me NOT want to see this fic die? I'd be more than willing to help Orion-Sama, inspiration or otherwise. I'd even be willing to write whole frickin' chapters!

;105; And I'll be there to provide the carnage. *smacks bone into open hand*

What-ever. Anyway...

I know I'm sounding like a lapdog in this post, but hey, I don't want this fic to become extinct.

Later.....I hope.

Divinity_123

2nd October 2006, 12:58 PM

The mods might as well closely it Morpher01. Ask Orion Sama if you can continue his fic. It seems as though he gave up on it anyway.

Morpher01

3rd October 2006, 12:37 AM

The mods might as well closely it Morpher01. Ask Orion Sama if you can continue his fic. It seems as though he gave up on it anyway.

I did. I haven't gotten a reply back, though. I don't seem to get replies from him for some reason.....I really wanna do this fic.

EDIT: Good news! Orion-Sama gave me permission to take over the fic! Yayness! ....now I just have to recap this WHOLE DANG THING to do it.

autism

5th May 2007, 12:18 AM

Yo orion could you continue this fic? I've been a big fan of it during the first days this fic was out. I've only read up to the part of miror b.'s life story but I don't need to read it all to know its gonna be stupendous. (not that I'm not gonna read it.) 10/10

Magikarpwns

11th October 2007, 8:02 PM

...It's such a shame to see this beautiful fix abandoned. This is what Colosseum/XD should've been (With more battles for gameplay purposes, but this is, of course, a story.).

The character development of the bland, mostly generic characters is done so beautifully...It's truly inspiring to see the focus is much more on the humans then the Pokemon (While still being very interesting, engrossing, and enjoyable, unlike most fics which attempt the same), which shows the true quality of this fic.

Orion, I know you won't continue this, but if you were to write up that summary that you talked about earlier, I'm sure any of us still around from the old days would really appreciate it.

This story is the sole thing that made me register for Serebii forums, and is inspiring me to write my own Cipher story. I'm a good writer (Though I can't present much proof, as everyone else), being raised up from role playing. Although I am used to writing in the play format, I suppose I'll have to adjust...

I guess I'll take a look at the other story you apparantely left this for, and then get a start on writing my own fic. If I ever do get around to it, Orion, I'd be honored if a golden quality writer such as yourself read it.